NOTES 



THE LESSONS 



1885 



. gjj ii iwumi iw iw ^n 



E, R GOULD, 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Shelf..Qr-6- 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



pr' 



1R»4 



NOTES 



THE LESSONS 



1885. 



PREPARED BY / 

PROFESSOR EZRA P. GOULD, A.M. 



I 'dec 31 1884^1/ 



*•=-- ^ ^t \fj; 



BOSTON : 
HOWARD GANNETT, 

TREMONT TEMPLE. 






Copyright, 1884, 
By HOWARD GANNETT. 



ELECTROTV-PED AND PRINTED 
BY RAND, AVERY, AND COMPANY, 



LESSONS FOR 1885. 



Studies in tfie Acts. 

FIRST QUARTER. 
Lesson I. — January 4. 
Paul at Troas. Acts 20: 2-16. 

Lesson IL — January 11. 

Paul at Miletus. Acts 20: 17-27. 

Lesson IIL — January 18. 

Paul's Farewell. Acts 20: 28-38. 

Lesson IV. — January 2^. 

Paul going to Jerusalem. Acts 21: 

1-14. 

Lesson V. — Febrtiary i. 
Paul at Jerusalem. Acts 21: 15-26. 

Lesson W. — February 8. 
Paul assailed. Acts 21: 27-40. 

Lesson VIL — February 75-. 
Paul's Defence. Acts 22: 1-21. 

Lesson ^\\\. — February 22. 
Paul before the Council. Acts 23:1-11. 

Lesson IX. — March i. 
Paul sent to Felix. Acts 23: 12-24. 

Lesson Y.. — March 8. 
Paul before Felix. Acts 24: 10-27. 

Lesson XI. — March /j. 
Paul before Agrippa. Acts 26: 1-18. 

Lesson XII. — March 22. 

Paul vindicated. Acts 26: 19-32. 

Lesson yAW. — March 2q. 

Review ; or, Missionary, Temperance, or 

other lesson selected by the school. 



Studies in the Acts and the Epist/es. 

SECOND QUARTER, 

Lesson I. — April 3. 
Paul's Voyage. Acts 27: 1, 2, 14-26. 

Lesson II. — April 12. 
Paul's Shipwreck. Acts 27; 27-44. 

Lesson III. — April iq. 
Paul going to Rome. Acts 28: 1-15. 

Lesson Y^ . — April 2b. 
Paul at Rome. Acts 28: 16-31. 

Lesson V. — May 3. 
Obedience. Eph. 6: 1-13. 

Lesson W.— May 10. 
Christ our Example. Phil. 2: 5-16. 

Lesson Wl. — May ly. 
Christian Contentment. Phil. 4: 4-13. 

Lesson VIII. — May 24. 
The Faithful Saying, i Tim. i: 15-20; 
and 2: 1-6. 

Lesson IX. — May 31. 
Paul's Charge to Timothy. 2 Tim. 3: 
14-17; and 4: 1-8. 

Lesson X. — Jtme 7. 
God's Message by His Son. Heb. i: 
1-8; and 2: 1-4. 

Lesson XL — June 14. 
The Priesthood of Christ. Heb. 9: 1-12. 

Lesson XII. — June 21. 
Christian Progress. 2 Pet. i: i-ii. 

Lesson XIII. — Jii7ie 28. 

Review ; or, Missionary, Temperance, or 

other lesson selected by the school. 



Studies in the Kings. 

THIRD QUARTER. 

Lesson I. — July 3. 
Revolt of the Ten Tribes, i Kings 12: 
6-17. 

Lesson II. — July 12. 
Idolatry established, i Kings 12: 25-33. 

Lesson III. — July iq. 
Omri and Ahab. i Kings 16: 23-34. 

Lesson IV. — July 2b. 
Elijah the Tishbite. i Kings 17: 1-16. 

Lesson V. — Atigust 2. 
Elijah meeting Ahab. i Kings 18: 1-18. 

Lesson VI. — A ugust q. 
The Prophets of Baal, i Kings 18: 19-29. 

Lesson VII. — August ib. 
The Prophet of the Lord, i Kings 18: 
30-46. 

Lesson VIII. — August 23. 
Elijah at Horeb. i Kings 19: 1-18. 

Lesson IX. — A ugr^st 30. 
The Story of Naboth. i Kings 21 : 4-19. 

Lesson X. — September b. 
Elijah translated. 2 Kings 2: 1-15. 

Lesson XL — September 13. 
The Shunammite's Son. 2 Kings 4: 
18-37. 

Lesson XII. — September 20. 
Naaman the Syrian. 2 Kings 5: 1-16. 

Lesson XIII. — September 27. 

Review ; or, Missionary, Temperance, or 

other lesson selected by the school. 



Studies in the Kings and Prophets. 

FOURTH QUARTER. 
Lesson I. — October 4. 
Elisha at Dothan. 2 Kings 6: 8-23. 

Lesson II. — October 11. 
The Famine in Samaria. 2 Kings 7: 
1-17. 

Lesson III. — October 18. 
Jehu's False Zeal. 2 Kings 10: 15-31. 

Lesson IV. — October 25". 
The Temple repaired. 2 Kings 12: 1-15. 

Lesson V. — November i. 
Death of Elisha. 2 Kings 13: 14-25. 

Lesson VI. — Novetnber 8. 
The Story of Jonah. Jonah i: 1-17. 

Lesson VII. — November 75". 

Effect of Jonah's Preaching. Jonah 3: 

i-io. 

Lesson VIII. — November 22. 

Hezekiah's Good Reign. 2 Kings 18: 

1-12. 

Lesson IX. — November 2q. 
Hezekiah's Prayer answered. 2 Kings 
20: 1-17. 

Lesson X. — December b. 
The Sinful Nation. Isa. i: 1-18. 
Lesson XI. — December 13. 
The Suffering Saviour. Isa. 53: 1-12. 

Lesson XII. — December 20. 
The Gracious Invitation. Isa. 55:1-11. 

Lesson XIII. — December 27. 

Review ; or, Missionary, Temperance, or 

other lesson selected by the school. 



FIRST QUARTER. 



LESSON I. 



PAUL AT TROAS. — Acts 20:2-16. 



A GENERAL VIEW. 



We are now drawing to the close of Paul's third missionary journey, and of his mission- 
ary activity. In a general way, we may say that his work, during his first missionary 
journey, extended over the island of Cyprus, and parts of the southern provinces of Asia 
Minor; that in his second missionary journey, after revisiting the scenes of his previous 
labors in Asia Minor, and founding churches in Galatia, which makes the centre of that 
district, he crossed over to Europe, and preached the gospel in Macedonia and Achaia; 
and that, in his third missionary journey, he labored for the most part in Ephesus, but so 
that all Asia — meaning the provinces on the west coast of Asia Minor — heard the gospel. 
His whole work had embraced, therefore, the northern coast of the Mediterranean, as far 
west as Greece; and the next step, which he fully expected to make, would carry him to 
Rome. It was a broad plan on which he had worked, and a great work that he had accom- 
plished. But now it is ended, except for the work that he was able to accomplish during 
his imprisonment at Rome; and in these last words at Troas and Miletus he is really 
uttering his farewells. The events recorded in these sixteen verses, which make our les- 
son, cover a year's time, from the spring of A.D. 58 to that of A.D. 59, or possibly one year 
earlier than that. They may be summed up as follows : He left Ephesus after the uproar 
over " Diana of the Ephesians," and went across the ^gean Sea to Macedonia. He had 
made an appointment to meet Titus at Troas, to hear news from the church at Corinth, 
which was in a sadly disaffected state; and so he went there first: but, as Titus did not 
come, he crossed over into Macedonia, hoping to intercept him there. Here he spent the 
summer; and, after the arrival of Titus, he wrote the Second Episde to the Corinthians. 
In the autumn or early winter he came to Corinth, to receive from them their collection 
for the church at Jerusalem, and to settle their difficulties. While here, in contemplation 
of his early visit to Rome, he wrote his Epistle to the Romans. Here he remained three 
months. He had been intending to go from here to Syria, on his way to Jerusalem; but 
a plot of the Jews against him made him change his route, and he went north again through 
Macedonia to Troas. Thence he embarked for Jerusalem, and the rest of the account 
gives simply the stages of his journey to that place. 

I 



Lesson I. 



PAUL AT TROAS. 



Acts 20:2-16. 



2 And when he had gone over 
those parts, and had given them 
much exhortation, he came into 
Greece, 

3 And there abode three months. 
And when the Jews laid wait for 
him, as he was about to sail into 
Syria, he purposed to return 
through Macedonia. 

4 And there accompanied him 
into Asia Sopater of Berea ; and of 
the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and 
Secundus ; and Gains of Derbe, 
and Timotheus ; and of Asia, 
Tychicus and Trophimus. 



2 And when he had gone 
through those parts, and had 
given them much exhortation, 

3 he came into Greece. And 
when he had spent three months 
the7'e, and a plot was laid against 
him by the Jews, as he was 
about to set sail for Syria, he 
determined to return through 

4 Macedonia. And there accom- 
panied him ' as far as Asia 
Sopater of Beroea, the son of 
Pyrrhus ; and of the Thessalo- 
nians, Aristarchus and Secun- 
dus ; and Gains of Derbe, and 



Many ancient authorities omit as far as Asia. 



NOTES. — I. After the ttproar : That is, the tumult over "Diana of the 
Ephesians," narrated in chapter 19. And embraced them ( " took leave of them," Rev. 
Ver.) ; Embracing would be included in these farewell greetings, but also words of fare- 
well. It is also stated that he " exhorted them; " this being inserted in the best Greek text 
before "took leave of them" (Rev. Ver.). To go into Macedonia. As we have 
already seen, he went first to Troas to meet Titus, with his news from the church at Corinth 
(see 2 Cor. 2: 12). While he was there he labored in the gospel, and the Lord seemed 
to open the way for him: but he was too anxious to hear from Corinth, to remain without 
tidings; and, as Titus did not come, he crossed over into Macedonia, with the hope of 
meeting him there. After the arrival of Titus, Paul wrote his Second Epistle to the 
Corinthians (see 2 Cor. 9: 2, 4). 

2. And when he had gone over those parts : We should learn from Acts of 
only a visit to the several places in Macedonia where he had labored previously; viz., 
Philippi, Thessalonica, Beroea; but in Rom. 15: 19 we learn that he had preached the 
gospel as far as to Illyricttm, a district lying west of Macedonia, and between that and 
Italy; and, as this is the only place where that visit to lUyricum can be put in, it is proba- 
ble that lUyricum is to be included in this statement. A:nd had given them much 
exhortation : This expression is one that is used where the persons labored with are 
already disciples. It would indicate, therefore, that the time was occupied mostly in 
revisiting the churches of Macedonia. Greece : By this is meant here Achaia, or South- 
ern Greece, as distinguished from Macedonia. This is the only place in which the word 
occurs in the New Testament. 

3. And there abode three tnonths : Probably in Corinth, as this had been the 
principal scene of his labors there. WJien the Jews laid wait for him ("A plot 
was laid against him by the Jews," Rev. Ver.): It does not appear that this plot has- 
tened his departure, but it changed his route. They had laid their plans with reference to 
his departure by sea, — probably by a certain vessel, — and he threw them off the scent by 
going off suddenly in another direction. To sail into Syria (" to set sail for Syria," 
Rev. Ver.) : That is, for any port of Syria to which he might find a vessel sailing. To 
return through Macedonia: And from there to Asia Minor, where he could ship 
for Syria. 

4. Into Asia (" as far as Asia," Rev. Ver.) : But there is good authority for omitting 
it altogether. It seems, from verses 5 and 6, that they left the apostle at some point in the 
journey, — possibly at Philippi, where he made a halt, — and crossed over to Troas, where 
they waited for him. Of the companions of Paul mentioned here, Aristarchus is mentioned 
in chapters 19: 29; 27: 2; Col. 4: 10; Philem. 24; Tychicus in 2 Tim 4: 12; and Trophimus 
in chapter 21: 29: 2 Tim. 4: 20. Sopater is called here the son of Pyrrhus (Rev. Ver.), 
From Acts 21 : 29 we learn that 1 rophimus was an Ephesian. 



Lesson I. 



PAUL AT TROAS. 



Acts 20: 2-16. 



5 These going before tarried for 
us at Troas. 

6 And we sailed away from 
Philippi after the days of unleav- 
ened bread, and came unto them 
to Troas in five days ; where we 
abode seven days. 

7 And upon the first day of the 
week, when the disciples came 
together to break bread, Paul 
preached unto them, ready to de- 
part on the morrow ; and continued 
his speech until midnight. 

8 And there were many lights in 
the upper chamber, where they were 
gathered together. 

9 And there sat in a window a 
certain young man named Euty- 
chus, being fallen into a deep sleep : 
and as Paul was long preaching, he 
sunk down with sleep, and fell 
down from the third loft, and was 
taken up dead. 



Timothy; and of Asia, Tychi- 

5 cus and Trophimus. But these 
^ had gone before, and were 

6 waiting for us at Troas. And 
we sailed away from Philippi 
after the days of unleavened 
bread, and came unto them to 
Troas in five days; where we 
tarried seven days. 

7 And upon the first day of the 
week, when we were gathered 
together to break bread, Paul 
discoursed with them, intending 
to depart on the morrow ; and 
prolonged his speech until mid- 

8 night. And there were many 
lights in the upper chamber, 
where we were gathered to- 

9 gether. And there sat in the 
window a certain young man 
named Eutychus, borne down 
with deep sleep ; and as Paul 
discoursed yet longer, being 



Many ancient authorities read came, ajtd were waithtg. 



6. After the days of unleavened bread : That is, the Passover. It is not said 
definitely that they staid in Philippi on account of this, and it may be a mere notation of 
time ; but it is quite probable that there was a simple observance of the day, with the new 
meaning that Christianity had put into it. " Christ our passover" had been slain, and had 
risen again. In five days : The language here is such as to emphasize the duration of 
the voyage; and, as the distance is only about one hundred and fifty miles, two days is 
the usual time. What delayed them, we are not told. It is noticeable that Luke begins to 
speak here again in the first person, saying, " We sailed," etc. He dropped it in the six- 
teenth chapter, indicating that he left Paul at Philippi, on the second missionary journey, 
seven years before this; and now we find him resuming it at Philippi. 

7. Upon the first day of the tveeU, tvhen the disciples came together 
to break bread : This is interesting, as being the one place in the New Testament 
where the religious observance of the Lord's Day is spoken of There is no indication in 
the New Testament of the observance of the day as a sabbath, a day of rest; but there 
are a few passages, which; taken in connection with the custom of the Church in the second 
century, do point to the growth of a tendency to observe the Lord's Supper on that day 
with such worship as naturally went with that. The disciples (" we," Rev. Ver.). Paul 
preached (" discoursed," Rev, Ver.) : The common words for preaching in the New 
Testament denote the deliverance of a message, of glad tidings. This means simply that 
he discoursed, or reasoned with them. Heady to depart on the morrow (" intend- 
ing to depart," Rev. Ver.) : This is put in probably, both to account for the discourse, and 
for the length of it. Paul had a premonition that these were his last words to them (see 
verse 25). 

8. Many lights in the upper chamber : The third story (see verse 9). Why 
these lights are mentioned, it is difficult to say; probably to account for the immediate 
knowledge of the accident to Eutychus. 

9. In a windo-w : An opening for light and air, uncovered by glass; sometimes 
they were covered with lattices, sometimes not. This window would open upon the street, 
or the court of the house ; and in either case the falj would be upon the ground beneath. 

3 



Lesson I. 



PAUL AT TROAS. 



Acts 20 : 2-16. 



10 And Paul went down, and fell 
on him, and embracing him said, 
Trouble not yourselves; for his life 
is in him. 

11 When he therefore was come 
up again, and had broken bread, 
and eaten, and talked a long while, 
even till break of day, so he departed. 

12 And they brought the young 
man alive, and were not a little 
comforted. 

13 IT And we went before to ship, 
and sailed unto Assos, there intend- 
ing to take in Paul : for so had he 
appointed, minding himself to go 
afoot. 

14 And when he met with us at 
Assos, we took him in, and came to 
Mitylene. 

15 And we sailed thence, and 
came the next day over against 
Chios ; and the next day we arrived 
at Samos, and tarried at Trogylli- 
um ; and the next day we came to 
Miletus. 



borne down by his sleep he fell 
down from the third story, and 

10 was taken up dead. And Paul 
went down, and fell on him, and 
embracing him said. Make ye no 
ado ; for his life is in him. 

11 And when he was gone up, and 
had broken the bread, and eaten, 
and had talked with them a long 
while, even till break of day, so 

12 he departed. And they brought 
the lad alive, and were not a lit- 
tle comforted. 

13 But we, going before to the 
ship, set sail for Assos, there 
intending to take in Paul : for 
so had he appointed, intending 

14 himself to go ^by land. And 
when he met us at Assos, we 
took him in, and came to Mity- 

15 lene. And sailing from thence, 
we came the following day over 
against Chios ; and the next day 
we touched at Samos ; and ^ the 
day after we came to Miletus. 



^ Or, on foot. ^ Many ancient authorities insert having tarried at Trogyllium, 

And as Paul teas long 2^*'6<**''*i'*(/ ("discoursed yet longer," Rev. Ver.) : Longer, 
that is, than was expected. 

10. Trouble not yourselves: This word does not denote mental disturbance, but 
the wailing that they would set up over the dead man. (" Make ye no ado," Rev. Ver.) 
For Jiis life is in Jiim : That is, it had returned after Paul's embracing him. 

11. A.7icl had hroTxen bread ("the bread," Rev. Ver.): The Lord's Supper had 
been deferred, to listen to Paul's discourse. Now the discourse had been interrupted by 
the accident; and, when they returned to the chamber, he began the long-deferred m.eal. 
A.nd talked a long icJiile : "Conversed" would give the idea better, or, as the Re- 
vised Version has it, " talked with them," not to them. What he had to say further to 
them was conveyed in the familiar talk about the table. 

12. And they brought the young man alive ("the lad," Rev. Ver.) : He ap- 
pears from this to have been quite j-^oung. It would appear from this also, that after his 
resuscitation he had recovered only gradually, and so had come up into the chamber where 
they were, for the first time, only after Paul's departure. And ivere not a little com- 
forted : Their grief over Paul's departure was alleviated by the restoration of the 
boy. 

13. Assos : A seaport on the Adramyttine Gulf, about twenty miles south of Troas. 
Intending himself to go by land : Why he did this we are not told, and it is useless to 
conjecture. 

14. Mitylene : The chief town of the island of Lesbos, situated on its eastern shore. 
This marks a stage in the journey probably, a place where they anchored for the night, as 
the course just beyond this is quite difficult. 

1$. Ox^er against Chios: The next large island on the coast, south of Lesbos. 
The language implies that they anchored off the coast, instead of putting into harbor, for 
the night. We arrived at Samos: If we retain the words that follow, — viz., and 
tarried at Trogyllium , — the meaning would be, that they simply touched at Samos, 
or passed by it, and anchored for the night at Trogyllium on the coast opposite ; but the 



Lesson II. 



PAUL AT MILETUS. 



Acts 20: 17-27. 



16 For Paul had determined to 
sail by Ephesus, because he would 
not spend the time in Asia : for he 
hasted, if it were possible for him, 
to be at Jerusalem the day of Pen- 
tecost. 



16 For Paul had determined to sail 
past Ephesus, that he might not 
have to spend time in Asia ; for 
he was hastening, if it were pos- 
sible for him, to be at Jerusalem 
the day of Pentecost. 



words are probably to be omiUed (Rev. Ver.). Jifiletus : A town on the coast, or near 
it, some thirty miles south of Ephesus. 

16, Hecause he tvould not spend the time in Asia: In order that he might 
not have to delay in Asia. He knew that if he went to this place, where there were so 
many associations and people that he loved, he would probably be tempted to delay, when 
he was in a great hurry. I*entecost : There were seven weeks between Passover and 
Pentecost, and of these more than two were gone already. 



LESSON 11. 



PAUL AT MILETUS. — Acts 20 : 17-27. 



17 1[ And from Miletus he sent 
to Ephesus, and called the elders of 
the church. 



17 And from Miletus he sent to 
Ephesus, and called to him the 

18 ^elders of the church. And when 



^ Ox, presbyters. 



A GENERAL VIEW. — In this lesson the apostle reviews the work in Asia, and fore- 
casts the future, both for himself and for his disciples. His work there, while it had reached 
in its effects all the provinces on the coast east of the ^gean, which made what was then 
called Asia, was all of it done in Ephesus. The church in Ephesus had been the centre of 
his work and influence during his third missionary journey, as Corinth had in his second. 
It is well to have the salient points of that work in view, in studying this farewell address. 
His first work, following his usual custom, was done in the synagogue, where he labored 
three months, teaching the Jews his spiritual doctrine of the kingdom of God, in opposition 
to their worldly view of it. Then, meeting with his usual opposition from the Jews, who 
were more hostile to him than to the other teachers of the new religion, because he would 
break down all the barriers between the chosen people and the Gentiles, he left the syna- 
gogue, and began teaching in the school of Tyrannus. Here he met both Jews and Greeks, 
and taught daily for two years ; reaching in this way men from all parts of Asia, as they 
passed in and out of the metropolis on their various errands. Special points in his work 
were his success in breaking up the practice of magical arts among his hearers, and the 
disturbance made by his inroads on the local worship of Diana. It was now only a year 
since he had left Ephesus, and these events were therefore fresh in his mind. Moreover, 
Paul did not expect to return. He was looking forward to persecutions in Jerusalem; 
and, if he escaped these, to work in Rome, and even farther west. And so he commits the 
church to the care of Its elders and to the grace of God. 

NOTES. — 17. Froiin Miletus he sent to Ephesus: Paul and his compan- 
ions seem to have had some control over the movements of the vessel, which, in this case 
at least, waited on their movements. They may have chartered it. The distance between 
Miletus and Ephesus is about thirty miles. The elders of the chnrcJi : These were 
a body of men selected from the church by the apostle or his assistants, to exercise a gen- 
eral oversight over its affairs. They were not a teaching body, though teaching was done 

5 



Lesson II, 



PAUL AT MILETUS. 



Acts 20: 17-27. 



18 And when they were come to 
him, he said unto them, Ye know, 
from the first day that I came into 
Asia, after what manner I have been 
with you at all seasons, 

19 Serving the Lord with all hu- 
mility of mind, and with many tears, 
and temptations, which befell me by 
the lying in wait of the Jews : 

20 And how I kept back nothing 
that was profitable imto yoti, but 
have shewed you, and have taught 
you publicly, and from house to 
house, 

21 Testifying both to the Jews, 
and also to the Greeks, repentance 



they were come to him, he said 
unto them. 

Ye yourselves know, from the 
first day that I set foot in Asia, 
after what manner I was with 

19 you all the time, serving the Lord 
with all lowliness of mind, and 
with tears, and with trials which 
befell me by the plots of the Jews: 

20 how that I shrank not from de- 
claring unto you any thing that 
was profitable, and teaching you 
publicly, and from house to 

21 house, testifying both to Jews 
and to Greeks repentance to- 
ward God, and faith toward 



a little later by some of its members. The office and its name were copied from the 
synagogue. 

18. Frotn the first day that I came into Asia ("set foot in," Rev. Ver.) : By 
Asia is meant here, as we have seen, the provinces on the eastern coast of the ^gean 
Sea. After XV hat manner I have been tvith you at all seasons: How I 
conducted, or lived, all the time. Paul's object here in calling attention to himself, his 
faithfulness and disinterestedness, was to stimulate these elders by his example. But, 
whether for one purpose or another, this mention of himself is frequent and characteristic 
with the apostle. See 2 Cor. i: 12-14; 11: 16-12: 10. Phil. 3: 4-17. r Thess. i: 5-2: 12, 
2 Tim. 3:10, 11; 4: 6-8. This address may be analyzed as follows: The general object is 
to stimulate them to faithfulness in their care of the church; and he does this, first, by 
holding up before them his own example (18-21) ; secondly, by reminding them that he is 
about to leave them, and to go out into an unknown and perilous future (22-27) : ^"df 
thirdly, by showing them the perils to which he sees the church is to be exposed (28-35). 

19. Serving the Lord : This shows what his course had been among them. By 
" the Lord," he means here Jesus. The verb denotes the service of a slave, and is used in 
the New Testament of Christian service, because believers regarded themselves as belong- 
ing to the Lord. With all humility of mind: What this grace is, exactly, is 
shown in Phil. 2:3; Col. 3:12; i Pet. 5:5. It is that modest estimate of himself that 
leads a man to think of others first. The word had only low meanings and associations 
before Christ glorified humility by his own example and teaching. With many tears : 
Omit 7na7iy (Rev. Ver.). Temptations : Should be trials (Rev. Ver.). The word 
denotes that which tries or tests a man, whatever it may be; and here, sufferings, as having 
that effect. Hy the lying in wait of the Jetvs (" the plots," Rev. Ver.) : The 
apostle refers to something here that Luke does not mention in his account: but chapter 
19:9 does mention an opposition of the Jews, that would naturally lead to persecution; and 
I Cor. 15: 32 si^., 16: 9: and 2 Cor. i: 8-11, show that the apostle was in constant danger 
there from some source. 

20. The language here is a little difficult to render: but the Revised Version gives it 
with sufficient accuracy: I shrank not from deciarz'tigto you any thitig that was profit- 
able, and teaching you. This unshrinking declaration of the truth was something worthy 
of mention, when Christianity was repugnant to both Jews and Gentiles, and when the form 
in which Paul presented it excited the bitter opposition of the Jewish section of the Church. 
Publicly, and from house to house : The first denotes the teaching that he would 
do in such public places as the synagogues, or the school of Tyrannus. The second does 
not denote, probably, strictly private work with individuals or families, but in such private 
assemblies as would assemble in houses. 

ai. Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks ("both to Jews and 

6 



Lesson II. 



PAUL AT MILETUS. 



Acts 20: 17-27. 



toward God, and faith toward our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

22 And now, behold, I go bound 
in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not 
knowing the things that shall befall 
me there : 

23 Save that the Holy Ghost 
witnesseth in every city, saying that 
bonds and afflictions abide me. 

24 But none of these things move 
me, neither count I my life dear 
unto myself, so that I might finish 
my course with joy, and the minis- 
try, which I have received of the 
Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of 
the grace of God. 



22 our Lord Jesus * Christ. And 
now, behold, I go bound in 
the spirit unto Jerusalem, not 
knowing the things that shall 

23 befall me there : save that the 
Holy Ghost testifieth unto me 
in every city, saying that bonds 

24 and afflictions abide me. But 
I hold not my life of any ac- 
count, as dear unto myself, 
^so that I may accomplish my 
course, and the ministry which 
I received from the Lord Jesus, 
to testify the gospel of the grace 

25 of God. And now, behold, I 



^ Many ancient authorities omit Christ. ^ Or, in comparison of accomplishing my 

course. 

to Greeks," Rev. Ver.) : The idea of testimony, witness, is of frequent occurrence in the 
New-Testament representations of Christian teaching; because the things taught by them 
are matters, not so much of thought or speculation, as of experience. JRepentance 
toxvard God: Repentance is the inward change which takes place at conversion, — the 
new view of things that one takes, and the change of purpose that accompanies it. God is 
the special object of this change : it is toward him that the man turns, and away from his 
sin. And faith toward otir Z,ord JTesus Christ : Faith is the attitude of the 
mind toward religion, regarded as a great body of spiritual facts and ideas. It is the man's 
assent to these truths, — the yielding to them in such a way that they control and influence 
him. Christ is the object of this faith, as the truth which has this power to master the man 
is contained in him. 

22. Sound in the spirit : That is, inwardly constrained, impelled by considerations 
which appealed to his higher nature. Not knowing the things that shall befall 
me there : He felt constrained to go, in spite of this uncertainty about his fate. 

23. Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city : Through prophets, 
speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit. That it was this, and not a mere inward 
suggestion, is clear from the statement that he met such predictions in every city. A.hide 
me : Await me. These predictions are none of them mentioned in the history until later 
(chap. 21 : 4, 11) ; but omissions in the very brief narrative of the Acts are not damaging. 
Aside from these predictions, Paul must have known that he was taking his life in his hands 
by going up to Jerusalem, where he was the best hated man in all Jewry. He had made 
himself conspicuous by his conversion from zealous Judaism to equally zealous Christianity, 
and by founding a school of Christian thought, and becoming the promulgator of a form 
of Christianity, specially obnoxious to Judaism. Moreover, he was now in the midst of that 
conflict with the Judaizers which marked him out as the special foe of the current Judaism. 
It was the period of his epistles to the Galatians, Romans, and Corinthians. 

24. Hut none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear 
unto myself (" but I hold not my life of any account, as dear unto myself," Rev. Ver.). 
So that I might finish my course tvith joy : Omit with joy (Rev. Ver.). This 
denotes, probably, his object in placing so little value on his life. It is in order that he 
may accomplish his course, an object with which care for his life would interfere. By 
cottrse, Paul means here his life looked at as a race toward a goal, — the accomplishment 
of the purpose of life. Mere life, without attainment of its object, he counts of no value. 
For examples of this use, see 13: 25; i Cor. 9: 24; Gal. 2:2; Phil. 2: 16; 2 Tim. 4: 7. And 
the ministry : Service conveys the idea better than the technical term ministry, which 
has come to have too official a meaning. The gospel of the grace of God : Or, as 

7 



Lesson III. 



PAUL'S FAREWELL. 



Acts 20 : 28-38. 



25 And now, behold, I know that 
ye all, among whom I have gone 
preaching the kingdom of God, 
shall see my face no more. 

26 Wherefore I take you to 
record this day, that I am pure 
from the blood of all 7nen. 

27 For I have not shunned to de- 
clare unto vou all the counsel of God. 



know that ye all, among whom 
I went about preaching the 
kingdom, shall see my face no 

26 more. Wherefore I testify unto 
you this day, that I am pure 

27 from the blood of all men. For 
I shrank not from declaring 
unto you the whole counsel of 
God. 



we might paraphrase it, the glad tidings that God is gracious, that he regards man with 
favor, and has sent his Son into the world, not to condemn it, but that the world through 
him might be saved. 

25. I Unow : Not as a matter of predictive certainty, — for the predictions made in 
every city pointed to only bonds and afflictions, not to death, — but he had a presentiment 
that it would end that way. \\Tien he was awaiting trial in Rome, four years later, he took 
a more cheerful \'iew of the situation, and thought that he should be released (see Phil. 
2: 24; Philem. 22). Ye all, among whom I have gone preaching : Paul is here 
thinking of a wider audience than these Ephesian elders. His thought takes in the wide 
circuit of his labors in Greece and Asia ]Minor, with the converts made, and the churches 
formed, by him. 

26. Wlierefore I taJce yoti to record this day (" I testify unto you," Rev. Ver.). 
Fit-re from the blood of all tnen : That is, if any one perishes, it will not be for 
any remissness on the part of Paul. He has done his utmost to deliver them from their 
fate. 

27. All the counsel of God : His purpose and plan to save men. All the length 
and breadth, the depth and height, of this saving thought of God, this wisdom of God that 
is folly to men, he had declared to them. 

HINTS FOR TEACHERS. — The self-renunciation of the apostle. His devotion 
to truth. His application of the truth to the needs of men. His noble carelessness of 
life, as compared with the ends of life. His consciousness of rectitude. The gospel of the 
grace of God. Repentance toward God, and faith toward Jesus Christ. 



LESSOxN III. 

PAUL'S FARE^WELL. — Acts 20 : 28-38. 

A GENERAL V7EW. — We have given already a general analysis of this farewell 
address, and an account of the circumstances in which it was made, and of the work in 
Ephesus to which it refers. A more particular analysis of this closing part of the address 
shows that it consists of two parts : first, a warning against the false teachers that Paul 
foresees will come in to subvert his teaching, and against the seeds of heresy that he sees 
already sown within the Church itself. In order to understand this warning, we have to 
remember again that this was the period of Paul's controversy with the Judaizing faction 
of the Church, who wished to make Christianity a mere appendix of Judaism; and that 
their emissaries were propagating their views in all Paul's churches. But the errors that 
he saw germinating in the Church itself were of a different kind, and peculiar to the soil. 
There was in Asia Minor a tendency to speculate and philosophize in a crude way about 
religion, that led to asceticism, to an emphasis of forms in religion, such as the obser\'ance 
of set days, to angel-worship, and to an association of Jesus with beings that were neither 
God nor man. The second part of this close of the address is an exhortation to these 
Ephesian elders to imitate the apostle's disinterestedness, and to earn their support by the 
labor of their hands, instead of claiming pay for their labors in the Church. 



Lesson III. 



PAUL'S FAREWELL. 



Acts 20 : 28-38. 



28 IF Take heed therefore unto 
yourselves, and to all the flock, 
over the which the Holy Ghost 
hath made you overseers, to feed 
the church of God, which he hath 
purchased with his own blood. 

29 For I know this, that after 
my departing shall grievous wolves 
enter in among you, not sparing the 
flock. 

30 Also of your own selves shall 
men arise, speaking perverse things, 
to draw away disciples after them. 



28 Take heed unto yourselves, 
and to all the flock, in the which 
the Holy Ghost hath made you 
^ bishops, to feed the church of 
^God, which he ^purchased with 

29 his own blood. I know that after 
my departing grievous wolves 
shall enter in among you, not 

30 sparing the flock ; and from 
among your own selves shall men 
arise, speaking perverse things, 
to draw away the disciples after 

31 them. Wherefore watch ye, 



^ Or, overseers. ^ Many ancient authorities read the Lord. 3 Gr. acquired. 

NOTES. —28. Take heed therefore: Omit therefore (Rev. Ver.). To your- 
selves, and to all the fiocli : He feels that the first thing for a man to do, who has 

charge of others, is to care for his own character and spiritual standing (see i Tim. 3: 1-7). 
The following verses show that he had in mind specially their adherence to the truth taught 
them. The Holy Ghost hath made you overseers: The word iox overseers is 
the same that is elsewhere translated bishops, and it is so rendered here in the Revised 
Version; but as the word is used here specially with reference to its figurative meaning, 
and its fitness to go along with the designation of the Church as a flock, it is well to bear 
this meaning in mind, even if we do not translate it so. This statement that they were 
constituted overseers by the Holy Spirit refers to the fitness for their office conferred by 
the Spirit, and also to his guidance in the choice of them (see Rom. 12: 4-8; i Cor. 12: 
4-11, 28-31). To feed the church of God : The Church of the Lord. This reading 
has not been adopted in the Revised Version ; but it is far the more probable of the two, and 
has the approval of the American revisers. The word ior feed is derived from the Greek for 
shepherd, and means to tend a flock. The feeding is only a part of the service. All the 
language in this and verse 29 is taken from the figure of the Church as a flock. This clause 
denotes the object for which they were appointed overseers. Which he hath pur- 
chased with his own hlood: This is one of the figurative representations of the 
results accomplished by the death of our Lord. It was the price that he paid to deliver 
his people from their bondage, and to make them his own. The attempts that have been 
made to carry out the figure, and to show who it was to whom the price was paid, and so 
on, are examples of the unlawful pushing of figurative language (see John 10: 11, 15). 

29. For I know this : Should be simply / know (Rev. Ver.). A.fter my de- 
parting : This may be simply a mark of time, showing when this danger will threaten 
them; but probably there is also an intimation that the two events are connected with 
each other, and that these false teachers would take advantage of Paul's absence to carry 
out their plans. This was their procedure at Corinth and in Galatia. Shall grievous 
wolves enter in : The only heresy of any prominence, and especially the one that 
engrossed Paul's mind at this time, was that of the Judaizers. These men were active and 
aggressive in organizing opposition to Paul wherever he labored, and there is every reason 
to suppose that these are referred to here. 

30. A.lso of your own selves : The indications of this were probably of a different 
kind. The Judaizing error was brought in from outside, while this was a native growth. 
We can gather the general nature of it from the Epistles to the Ephesians, the Colossians, 
and from the First Epistle to Timothy. There was a tendency to speculate on the origin 
of things, to cultivate asceticism in regard to marriage, and to eating and drinking, to angel- 
worship, and to unworthy views of the person of Jesus. These things existed as yet only 
in germ, but Paul warns them against these beginnings of error. To dratv away dis- 
ciples (" the disciples," Rev. Ver.) : That is, to draw away those who were already dis- 
ciples of Jesus. 

9 



Lesson III. 



PAUL'S FAREWELL. 



Acts 20 : 28-38. 



31 Therefore watch, and remem- 
ber, that by the space of three years 
I ceased not to warn every one 
night and day with tears. 

32 And now, brethren, I com- 
mend you to God, and to the word 
of his grace, which is able to build 
you up, and to give you an inher- 
itance among all them which are 
sanctified. 

33 I have coveted no man's sil- 
ver, or gold, or apparel. 

34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that 
these hands have ministered unto 
my necessities, and to them that 
were with me. 

35 I have showed you all things, 
how that so laboring ye ought to 
support the weak, and to remember 



remembering that by the space 
of three years I ceased not to 
admonish every one night and 

32 day with tears. And now I 
commend you to ^ God, and to 
the word of his grace, which is 
able to build jj'c« up, and to give 
you the inheritance among all 

"^"^ them that are sanctified. I cov- 
eted no man's silver, or gold, or 

34 apparel. Ye yourselves know 
that these hands ministered unto 
my necessities, and to them that 

35 were with me. In all things I 
gave you an example, how that 
so laboring ye ought to help 
the weak, and to remember the 
words of the Lord Jesus, how 
he himself said. It is more 



Some ancient authorities read the Lord. 



31. Therefore ivatcJi: The figure of a flock is kept up in this word. They are 
to watch the flock, and see that none are devoured by wolves, nor led astray by designing 
men. A.nd remember (" remembering," Rev. Ver.) : It is not simply watch aitd re- 
member, but watch because you retne7nber. Keep my exaijtple in mitid, as a sttJJtu- 
lus to 7vatchfuhiess in yourselves. Three years : Chapter 19: 10 says two years. 
It was probably something above the one, and under the other; and exactness is not aimed 
at in either account. To ivarn (" to admonish," Rev. Ver.) : He was not warning them 
of these possible dangers for three years, but reproving and correcting them, with the anxi- 
ety and tears that his deep interest in them made the work cost him. Night and day : 
In season and out. 

32. And now, brethren: Omit brethren (Rev. Ver.). I commend you to 
God : I leave you in his hands. He commits the church to them, and them to God, 
A.nd to the tvord of his grace : The grace here denotes the subject of this word, — 
the content of it, — as in the expression, the glad tidi7igs of the grace of God, verse 24. 
His commending them to this word indicates that he has in mind its power to keep and 
strengthen them (see John 17:17). JVhich is able: "Who is able. The reference is 
probably to God, as the principal subject of thought; and also as being the more probable 
agent in giving them the inheritance spoken of. And to give you an inheritance 
( " the inheritance," Rev. Ver.) : The inheritance referred to is the final glory of the Mes- 
sianic kingdom Csee Eph. i: 14, 18; 5:5; i Pet. 1:4). The building up is the favorite 
figure by which the apostle denotes the formation of the Christian character, by which they 
are prepared for this inheritance. 

34. Yea : Omit (Rev. Ver.). Ye yourselves "know : And so he does not need to 
tell them. He can appeal to their own knowledge to confirm what he says. That these 
Jtands ministered unto mg necessities : Luke does not mention this in his ac- 
count of Paul's stay in Ephesus ; but he does speak of his working at his trade of tent-making 
in Corinth, and in i Cor. 4: 11, 12 he speaks of working with his own hands unto this 
present hour. Now, as this epistle was written from Ephesus, it shows that his statement 
about ministering to his needs with his own hands at Ephesus is true. Paul recognizes 
that he, and all who do spiritual work, are entided to support (see i Cor. 9) ; but he volun- 
tarily relinquishes this for the sake of increasing the efficiency of his work as an apostle, 
and he exhorts them to imitate his example of self-denial. To them that were with 
me : His companions and assistants. 

35. I have showed you all things: In all things I showed you (by example). 

10 



Lesson IV. 



PAUL GOING TO JERUSALEM. Acts zwi-ii,. 



the words of the Lord Jesus, how 
he said, It is more blessed to give 
than to receive. 

36 IF And when he had thus 
spoken, he kneeled down, and 
prayed with them all. 

yj And they all wept sore, and 
fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, 

38 Sorrowing most of all for the 
words which he spake, that they 
should see his face no more. And 
they accompanied him unto the ship. 



blessed to give than to re- 
ceive. 

36 And when he had thus spoken, 
he kneeled down, and prayed 

■};] with them all. And they all 
wept sore, and fell on Paul's 

^ neck, and kissed him, sorrowing 
most of all for the word which 
he had spoken, that they should 
behold his face no more. And 
they brought him on his way 
unto the ship. 



Ye ought to support the tveaU ("to help," Rev. Ver.) : Opinion is divided as to 
the meaning. Some think that support of the poor is meant: others think that the weak 
are those not firmly fixed in Christian faith, and who might look on their work as being 
performed for the pay if they received support. Their idea is, that Paul means that such 
would be helped by seeing them supporting themselves, so that all suspicion of such motive 
would be removed. This view seems the more probable. A.nd to remember the 
mords of the Ziord Jesus : These words are not preserved for us in the Gospels. 
Whether they became known to Paul through oral or written records of the life and sayings 
of Jesus, we do not know. They are so evidendy genuine, that we should accept them 
fjrom any source. As applied to the case in hand, they mean that a man is happier in 
bestowing the help on others that would accompany an entirely unrequited service, than 
in receiving the compensation that he might justly demand for his work. 

37. They all tvept sore : They gave themselves up to great demonstrations of 
sorrow. The language includes not only weeping, but all the signs of lamenting, in 
which Eastern people were profuse. JLnd Jcissed him: The language is intensive. 
They kissed him much and tenderly. 

HINTS FOR TEACHERS. — The motive for working in behalf of other men 
which Christ's sacrifice of himself for them makes. God building us up. The power of 
God's truth to keep men from falling. The value of a good example in exhorting other men 
to goodness. The nobleness of sacrificing, for the sake of others, what we might justly 
demand for ourselves. The reward of living so that others will miss us and lament us. 



LESSON IV. 

PAUL GOING TO JERUSALEM. 



Acts 21:1-14. 



A GENERAL VIEW. — Paul's purpose in going to Jerusalem at this time was to 
convey to the church in that city the contribution for their poor that he had been collecting 
from his Gentile churches. For some reason, while the early Christians were generally 
poor, the church at Jerusalem was especially so; so that, in the first conference that Paul 
had with the apostles there, it was part of his agreement with them, that he should remem- 
ber their poor (Gal. 2: 10). Probably this poverty arose from the fact that it was a spe- 
cially proscribed and persecuted church. The opposition to Christianity at this period 
was mainly Jewish, and not Gentile; and the headquarters of that opposition was Jerusa- 
lem. Paul was moved to relieve this poverty, not only by his compassion and by his agree- 
ment with the older apostles, but by his desire to promote harmony between the Jewish 
and Gentile sections of the Church. He would consent to no abatement of principle for this 
purpose; but he saw in this condition of things at Jerusalem an opportunity for his Gen- 
tile churches to show their good-will toward the mother-church, in such a way as to soften 
hard feelings, and promote unity. He was already, before he had begun his missionary 



Lessojt IV. 



PAUL GOING TO JERUSALEM. Acts 21: \-ii,. 



1 And it came to pass, that after 
we were gotten from them, and had 
launched, we came with" a straight 
course unto Coos, and the day 
following unto Rhodes, and from 
thence unto Patara : 

2 And finding a ship sailing over 
unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and 
set forth. 

3 Now when we had discovered 
Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, 
and sailed into Syria, and landed 
at Tyre : for there the ship was to 
unlade her burden. 

4 And finding disciples, we tarried 
there seven days : who said to Paul 
through the Spirit, that he should 
not go up to Jerusalem. 



1 And when it came to pass that 
we were parted from them, and 
had set sail, we came with a 
straight course unto Cos, and the 
next day unto Rhodes, and from 

2 thence unto Patara : and having 
found a ship crossing over unto 
Phoenicia, we went aboard, and 

3 set sail. And when we had 
come in sight of Cyprus, leaving 
it on the left hand, we sailed 
unto Syria, and landed at Tyre : 
for there the ship was to unlade 

4 her burden. And having found 
the disciples, we tarried there 
seven days : and these said to 
Paul through the Spirit, that 
he should not set foot in Je- 



work, the messenger of the church at Antioch to Jerusalem on such an errand of relief; 
and in the letters to the Corinthians, the Romans, and the Galatians, written at about the 
time of our lesson, we find frequent reference to a systematic effort, extending over several 
years, to raise a sum of money from the churches of Achaia, IMacedonia, and Galatia, for 
this purpose. He considered the matter of sufficient importance to go himself as the bearer 
of this, together with the messengers from the churches. 

NOTES. —I. And had launched {" set sail," Rev. Ver.). We came with a 
straight course tinto Coos ("Cos," Rev. Ver.): They had the wind behind them, 
and so were able to make a straight run, without tacking. Cos was an island on the coast, 
south-west of INIiletus, and about forty miles distant. It was an island of some commercial 
importance, and had a considerable sprinkling of Jews among its inhabitants. There was 
a town of the same name on the north-east comer of the island, and possibly it was here 
that they stopped for the night. RJiodes : A larger island than Cos, lying south-west 
of it, at a distance of between forty and fifty miles. It had considerable eminence in Gre- 
cian history, and continued to be an important place in Christian history. Its principal 
city was Rhodes, on the northern coast of the island; and probably Paul's party anchored 
. there for the night. Fatara : This is the single instance in which this place is men- 
tioned in the Scriptures. It was a city lying immediately east of Rhodes, and distant about 
forty miles, just where the coast of Asia Minor turns eastward, and becomes the northern 
coast of the Mediterranean, instead of the eastern coast of the JEgean Sea. Apollo was 
the deity of the place. 

2. Sailing over unto JPJienicia (" crossing over," Rev. Ver.) : They had reached 
a point in their journey where they were to stop skirting the coast, and were to strike 
in a south-east course across the ^Mediterranean to Phoenicia. Here, therefore, they left the 
vessel that had brought them so far, and found another going in their direction. 

3. ^'ow tcJien ice had discovered Cyprus: It is a little doubtful if this is a 
proper use of the word discover. Come in sight of {^&v. Ver.) is better, or had a view 
of (Hackett) . The idea is, that they had a view of it as they passed. We left it on 
the left hand: That is, they passed to the south of it. This was the place of Paul's 
first missionary work. Sailed into Syria ("unto," Rev. Ver.) : Syria under the em- 
pire included the whole eastern coast of the Mediterranean. Tyre was the chief city of 
Phoenicia, situated about two-thirds of the distance down the eastern coast of the Medi- 
terranean. Was to unlade : Was unlading. They landed because the ship was 
unlading. 

4. And finding discijilcs ("having found the disciples," Rev. Ver.): That is, 
they did not find out that there were disciples there, but who and where they were. 



Lesson IV. 



PAUL GOING TO JERUSALEM. Acts 21-. i-\d,. 



5 And when we had accomplished 
those days, we departed and went 
our way; and they all brought us 
on our way, with wives and children, 
till we were out of the city : and we 
kneeled down on the shore, and 
prayed. 

6 And when we had taken our 
leave one of another, we took ship ; 
and they returned home again. 

7 And when we had finished otir 
course from Tyre, we came to Ptole- 
mais, and saluted the brethren, and 
abode with them one day. 

8 And the next day we that were 
of Paul's company departed, and 
came unto Csesarea; and we entered 
into the house of Philip the evangel- 
ist, which was one of the seven; 
and abode with him. 



5 rusalem. And when it came to 
pass that we had accomplished 
the days, we departed and went 
on our journey ; and they all, 
with wives and children, brought 
us on our way, till we were out 
of the city : and kneeling down 

6 on the beach, we prayed, and 
bade each other farewell ; and 
we went on board the ship, but 
they returned home again. 

7 And when we had finished the 
voyage from Tyre, we arrived 
at Ptolemais ; and we saluted 
the brethren, and abode with 

8 them one day. And on the 
morrow we departed, and came 
unto Cassarea : and entering into 
the house of Philii^ the evangel- 
ist, who was one of the seven. 



There is no definite statement of the founding of a church there; but in 11: 19 there is 
a statement, that the disciples scattered by the persecution of the church at Jerusalem went 
as far as Phoenicia, preaching the word to the Jews. Through the Spirit : Under 
the influence of the Spirit. That he should not go tijt to Jerusaletn : There 
was a mixture evidently of prophetic warning and human inference in this. Evidently the 
communication of the Spirit was in regard to the "bonds and imprisonment" that awaited 
him ; and, on the strength of that, they argued that it could not be the mind of the Spirit 
that he should go to Jerusalem. As such Paul accepted the warning, but he felt within 
himself an inward constraint to go in spite of the bonds (see 20 : 23,24; 21; 11-14). 

5. Those days ("the days," Rev. Ver.): That is, the seven days of their stay there, 
during which the ship was unlading. And they all brought tis on our way : This 
is the same word which is translated nccojnpanied in 20: 38. It was a mark of esteem; 
and in this case it was not rendered by a group of Paul's own disciples, but by those who 
had been strangers to him before this week. This makes the unanimity of the tribute more 
worthy of notice. On the shore (" the beach," Rev. Ver.) : It is distinguished from a 
high, rugged coast. The minuteness of the narrative in verses 5 and 6 is evidence of an 
eye-witness. 

7. And when we had finished' our course frotn Tyre, tve came to Ptole- 
mais : And, finishing our voyage, from Tyre we came to Ptolemais. This completed 
their whole voyage, not simply that from Tyre. From Tyre to Ptolemais was the last stage 
of it. Ptolemais was the most southern of the Phoenician cities, lying midway between 
Tyre and Caesarea, and about thirty miles from each. Its original name was Accho, and 
this name remains. Ptolemais was the name given to it at the time of the Macedonian 
supremacy, and it was retained during the Roman period. The brethreti : The same 
remark would apply here as to the disciples in verse 4. 

8. We that tvere of Paul's coinj>any : Simply we (Rev. Ver.). A church 
reading began here, and the words that follow were inserted to explain who "we" were. 
Ccesarea : The Roman capital of Judaea, built by Herod. Philip the evangelist, 
which was one of the seven. (See chapters 6: 5; 8:5-13,26-40.) His appointment 
in the church at Jerusalem seems to have been only temporary, and he entered early on the 
more important work of an evangelist. By this is meant one who went about from place 
to place, carrying the good news of the gospel. It was a missionary work, as distinguished 
from that of instructing and building up the churches. For Paul's previous visits to 
Csesarea, see 9: 30; 18: 22. 

13 



Lesson IV. 



PAUL GOING TO JERUSALEM. ^r/j 21:1-14. 



9 And the same man had four 
daughters, virgins, which did 
prophesy. 

10 And as we tarried there many 
days, there came down from Judaea 
a certain prophet, named Agabus. 

1 1 And when he was come unto 
us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound 
his own hands and feet, and said. 
Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall 
the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man 
that owneth this girdle, and shall 
deliver hi7n into the hands of the 
Gentiles. 

1 2 And when we heard these things, 
both we, and they of that place, be- 
sought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 

13 Then Paul answered. What 
mean ye to weep and to break mine 
heart? for I am ready not to be 
bound only, but also to die at Jerusa- 
lem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 

14 And when he would not be 
persuaded, we ceased, saying, The 
will of the Lord be done. 



9 we abode with him. Now this 
man had four daughters, vir- 

10 gins, which did prophesy. And 
as we tarried there ' many days, 
there came down from Judsea a 
certain prophet, named Agabus. 

11 And coming to us, and taking 
Paul's girdle, he bound his own 
feet and hands, and said, Thus 
saith the Holy Ghost, So shall 
the Jews at Jerusalem bind the 
man that owneth this girdle, and 
shall deliver him into the hands 

12 of the Gentiles. And when we 
heard these things, both we and 
they of that place besought him 

13 not to go up to Jerusalem. Then 
Paul answered. What do ye, 
weeping and breaking my heart ? 
for I am ready not to be bound 
only, but also to die at Jerusalem 
for the name of the Lord Jesus. 

14 And when he would not be per- 
suaded, we ceased, saying, The 
will of the Lord be done. 



1 Or, some. 



9. And the same man: Simply this man (Rev. Ver.). The fact given here has 
no connection with the rest of the history, and is mentioned here simply as a matter of 
interest about Philip. 

10. Tarried there manij days : Several days. A. certain prophet, named 
Agabus : He was evidently the same prophet Agabus who came down from Jerusalem to 
Antioch, and prophesied a famine (see ii: 28). The correspondence is too exact to doubt 
this. Luke's speaking of him here as an unknown or unmentioned person may be owing 
to forgetfulness, or to the fact that the previous mention had been so slight. 

11. l*aiil's girdle : The girdle, or belt, was a necessary article to confine the loose 
and flowing garment about the waist. Shall deliver him into the hands of the 
Gentiles : This part of the prophecy was fulfilled in only the most general way. Paul was 
rescued from the hands of his countrymen by the Roman authorities (see 21: 31-33; 23: 
10, 16-25). Still, in a general way, Paul's imprisonment at Jerusalem, Csesarea, and Rome 
was due to the Jews. The prophecy took this form, because this was the usual proceeding 
in grave offences, the trial of which was always kept in the hands of the imperial govern- 
ment. The symbolic action accompanying the prophecy was common (see Is. 20; Jer, 13: 
1-14; Ezek. 4; 5:1-5, etc.). 

12. Hot h tee : Paul's companions. They thought evidently, like the disciples at Tyre, 
that these prophecies were warnings against his going to Jerusalem; but Paul saw in them 
only a provision enabling him to act intelligendy, with his eyes open to the consequences. 

13. What mean ye to tveep and to break mine heart ? (" What do ye, weep- 
ing and breaking my heart? " Rev. Ver.) Paul is proof against their demonstrations of sor- 
row, while at the same time he is profoundly stirred by them. He is not indifferent to 
these threatened dangers, nor to the sorrow that they cause his friends; but he holds to his 
convictions of duty notwithstanding. He was a very admirable, human man. 

14. Tlie will of the T^ord he done : That is, probably, of the Lord Jesus, as Paul 
had just spoken of his going to Jerusalem for his sake, and had thus intimated that it was 
his will. 



14 



Lesson V. 



PAUL AT JERUSALEM. 



Acts 21 : 15-26. 



LESSON V. 

PAUL AT JERUSALEM. — Acts 21: 15-26. 



15 And after those days we took 
up our carriages, and went up to 
Jerusalem. 

16 There went with us also cer- 
taht of the disciples of Caesarea, and 
brought with them one Mnason of 
Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom 
we should lodge. 

17 And when we were come to 
Jerusalem, the brethren received 
us gladly. 



15 And after these days we ^ took 
up our baggages, and went up 

16 to Jerusalem, And there went 
with us also certain of the dis- 
ciples from Caesarea, bringing 
with thetn one Mnason of Cy- 
prus, an early disciple, with 
whom we should lodge. 

17 And when we were come to 
Jerusalem, the brethren received 

18 us gladly. And the day foUow- 



^ Or, viade ready. 



A GENERAL VIEW. — This is Paul's fifth visit to Jerusalem since his conversion. 
The first was in A.D. 39, three years after he became a Christian, and when he received 
his first introduction to the church. The second was in A.D. 45, during his labor at Anti- 
och in connection with Barnabas, when the two carried an offering from Antioch to the 
needy mother-church. The third was in A.D. 50, after his first missionary journey, when 
he and Barnabas went to confer with the church at Jerusalem in regard to the question of 
circumcising Gentile converts. The fourth was in A.D. 54, at the close of his second mis- 
sionary journey. In only the first of these visits had the apostle encountered any danger; 
and then it had been owing altogether to his position as a Christian, and not at all to any 
peculiarity in his views distinguishing him from other Christians. But now he Is going 
up to Jerusalem as the apostle of a Christianity that proclaimed the absolute freedom of 
its Gentile converts from obligation to the Jewish law. To be sure, this question had been 
decided already by the church at Jerusalem, nine years before this ; that church giving its 
judgment that only abstinence from meat offered to idols, from things strangled, and from 
blood, was necessary. This was a compromise, as it did not allow absolute freedom, and 
yet required only what was demanded of proselytes of the gate; but this compromise 
failed to effect any permanent settlement. Things remained quiet under it for a time ; but 
after a while the Judaizers returned to their attack, attempting to undermine Paul in his 
Gentile churches, denying both his apostolic authority and the truth of his teaching. And 
Paul, on his side, had taught his Gentile converts that they were free in regard to eating 
meats offered to idols. This controversy was therefore at its height when Paul arrived In 
Jerusalem; and, while he was regarded with suspicion by the Jewish Christians, his posi- 
tion intensified the opposition of the Jews to him. Events justified the fears of his friends 
that his presence in Jerusalem at this time would be attended with the gravest danger. 

NOTES. — 15. And after these days: The several days spent at Caesarea (verse 
10). We took up our carriages : We made ready; i.e., we put our goods of various 
kinds in order for our journey, — not to leave behind, but to take them with us. A.nd 
-went up to Jerusalem : A journey of about sixty miles. 

16. A.nd brought tvitJi them one Mnason of Cyprus: Brought us to one 
Mnason, etc. Either rendering is possible, but this one is preferable because it gives much 
the better meaning. Nothing further is known about this Mnason of Cyprus. He was 
probably a Gentile convert, or a converted Hellenist Jew, whose sympathies would be with 
Paul. A.n old disciple : Not in the sense of ag-ed, but opposed to a new convert. 

17. The hrethren received us gladly : It is difficult to take the word brethren 
here in a very large sense, considering the report that James gives of the general attitude 

15 



Lesson V. 



PAUL AT JERUSALEM. 



Acts 2\\ 15-26. 



18 And the day following Paul 
went in with us unto James; and 
all the elders were present. 

19 And when he had saluted 
them, he declared particularly what 
things God had wrought among the 
Gentiles by his ministry. 

20 And when they heard //, they 
glorified the Lord, and said unto 
him, Thou seest, brother, how many 
thousands of Jews there are which 
believe ; and they are all zealous of 
the law : 

21 And they are informed of thee, 
that thou teachest all the Jews which 
are among the Gentiles to forsake 
Moses, saying that they ought not to 
circumcise their children, neither to 
walk after the customs. 



ing Paul went in with us unto 
James; and all the elders were 

19 present. And when he had sa- 
luted them, he rehearsed one by 
one the things which God had 
wrought among the Gentiles by 

20 his ministry. And they, when 
they heard it, glorified God ; and 
they said unto him. Thou seest, 
brother, how many ^ thousands 
there are among the Jews of 
them which have believed; and 
they are all zealous for the law : 

21 and they have been informed con- 
cerning thee, that thou teachest 
all the Jews which are among the 
Gentiles to forsake Moses, tell- 
ing them not to circumcise their 
children, neither to walk after 



Gr. myriads. 



of the church, and the plan to remove their prejudices that he thinks necessary. It proba- 
bly refers to the brethren gathered to receive him at the house of Mnason. 

18. Went in with us %into Jaines ; and all the elders xvere present: 
This was the official reception of Paul by the officers of the church; and it was here, prob- 
ably, that he fulfilled his mission, handing over to them the money that he had collected 
for the church. For " elders" see note on 20: 17. The prominence of James, the brother 
of the Lord, in the church at Jerusalem, though no official headship is ascribed to him in 
the New Testament, appears from Acts 9: 27; Gal. i: 18, 19; Acts 12: 17; 15: 13, 19; 
Gal. 2:9. 

19. Se declared particularly (" rehearsed one by one," Rev. Ver.) : This state- 
ment had been made already in regard to the results of his first missionary journey (chapter 
15: 4) ; and probably in his visit to Jerusalem after the second journey, he had given an 
account of that. This statement, then, was confined probably to the third journey, just 
ended. 

20. They glorified the Ziord ("God," Rev. Ver.). llotv many thousands: 
Literally, ten thousands, or myriads. Probably it is used here of an indefinitely large num- 
ber. They are all zealous of the laiv : This is a very significant statement, and 
indicates a grave state of things in the Jewish Church ; for evidently Jesus had prepared 
the way for his disciples to exercise considerable freedom in the matter of ceremonial ob- 
servance ; and so it is indicative of a great re-action, to have it said of the great body of the 
Jewish believers, that they were zealots for the law. The re-action was probably against 
Paul's development of the principles taught by Jesus, in his mission to the Gentiles, and 
was also probably an attempt to conciliate the Jews. This ^statement is therefore ominous 
of danger to Paul himself, and to his errand in Jerusalem, which was to conciliate the 
church there by the generous offering of the Gentile churches. 

21. Thou teachest all the Jews ivhicli are among the Gentiles to forsake 
ISIoses : Literally, apostasy from Moses. This information had been brought to them, 
evidently, by the Judaizers, who had been teaching their false doctrine in Paul's churches. 
It was malignantly false. Paul's position, in regard to this, is distinctly stated in i Cor. 7: 
17-24, and was consistently maintained by him, as witness his circumcision of Timothy 
(chapter 16: 3). He regarded the attempt to impose circumcision on the Gentiles as an en- 
deavor to identify Christianity with Judaism, and to make salvation depend on observance of 
the Jewish law ; and that he therefore opposed strenuously. But, on the other hand, circum- 
cision itself he looked on as an entirely indifferent matter, and all other Jewish observances 

16 



V. 



PAUL AT JERUSALEM. 



Acts 2 1 : 1 5-26. 



22 What is it therefore ? the mul- 
titude must needs come together : 
for they will hear that thou art come. 

23 Do therefore this that we say 
to thee : We have four men which 
have a vow on them ; 

24 Them take, and purify thyself 
with them, and be at charges with 
them, that they may shave their 
heads; and all may know that those 
things, whereof they were informed 
concerning thee, are nothing; but 
that thou thyself also walkest order- 
ly, and keepest the law. 

25 As touching the Gentiles w^hich 
believe, we have written and con- 
cluded that they observe no such 
thing, save only that they keep them- 
selves from things offered to idols, 
and from blood, and from strangled, 
and from fornication. 



22 the customs. What is it there- 
fore .'' they will certainly hear 

23 that thou art come. Do there- 
fore this that we say to thee : 
We have four men which have a 

24 vow on them , these take, and 
purify thyself with them, and be 
at charges for them, that they 
may shave their heads : and all 
shall know that there is no truth 
in the things whereof they have 
been informed concerning thee ; 
but that thou thyself also walkest 

25 orderly, keeping the law. But as 
touching the Gentiles which have 
believed, we ^ wrote, giving judg- 
ment that they should keep them- 
selves from things sacrificed to 
idols, and from blood, and from 
what is strangled, and from for- 



Or, enjoined. Many ancient authorities read seitt. 



with it. For a Jew to practise these things was simply to conform to a national custom, 
with which Paul, as a Christian teacher, did not meddle. However, this doctrine of the 
indifference of ceremonial observances probably led some of his followers among the Jews 
to carry their practice farther than Paul's direct teaching led them ; and this may have 
been exaggerated by his accusers into the charge which we are considenng. TUe cus- 
toms : The Jewish customs enjoined in the law. 

22. What is it therefore ? That is. What is the state of the case ? what is to be 
done? The multitude mtist needs come together: A multitude. That is, of 
the Jewish Christians. It does not, however, refer to a tumultuous assemblage, but to the 
crowd that would gather to hear and watch him wherever he appeared. Something would 
have to be done to satisfy this observant and suspicious multitude. It may be, however, 
that these words are to be omitted, as in the Revised Version; but, even with this omission, 
the clause that follows implies somewhat the same course of reasoning. 

23. We have four men that have a votv on them: A Nazarite vow, as the 
mention of " shaving," in verse 24, shows. 

24. Furify thyself tt'ith them, and be at charges with them, that they 
may shave their heads (" be at charges for them," Rev. Ver.; : The Nazarite vow 
pledged the person taking it to abstinence from wine, grapes, and strong drink of any kind; 
not to cut the hair; and not to touch a dead body. After the completion of the time for 
which the vow was taken, he was required to offer a he-lamb for a burnt-offering, a ewe- 
lamb for a sin-offering, a ram for a peace-offering, and various accompaniments of meat and 
drink offering. Then his head was shaved, as the sign of the completion of his vow. These 
offerings were burdensome for a poor man, and it was no uncommon thing for charitable 
persons to assume or share the expense. This is what they asked Paul to do, in order to 
show his continued respect for Jewish customs, and to allay the prejudice against him on 
account of his supposed repudiation of them. In order to make this the more marked, it 
was proposed that he should not only assume the expenses of the four men, but also himself 
take the vow for the rest of the time. Of course, the meaning is, not that he should pay 
for the shaving of their heads, but that he should provide the sacrifices necessary to the 
completion of the vow for which the shaving stood. A.nd all may know (" shall know," 
Rev. Ver.). 

25. We have written : The we is emphatic, as it was their act, the act of the 

17 



Lesson VI. PAUL ASSAILED. ^^/j 21 : 27-40. 



26 Then Paul took the men, and 
the next day purifying himself with 
them entered into the temple, to sig- 
nify the accomplishment of the days 
of purification, until that an offering 
should be offered for every one of 
them. 



26 nication. Then Paul ^ took the 
men, and the next day purifying 
himself with them went into the 
temple, declaring the fulfilment 
of the days of purification, until 
the offering was offered for every 
one of them. 



' Or, took the 7nen the next day, and purifyt7ig himself , etc. 

church at Jerusalem, and not of Paul and his associates. The language that is used, here 
and elsewhere, of this decision of the church, shows that it was regarded as mandatory. 
Arid concluded : Decreed. These decrees were the requirements for proselytes of the 
gate. This statement is introduced here to relieve Paul from any apprehension that this 
proposition is intended to bind the Gentiles in any way. What they wish is, to show that 
Paul IS not attempting to dissuade the Jews from observing the law, and has no relation to 
the Gentiles. 

26. Purifying himself tvith them : That is, taking on himself with them the 
Nazarite vows of ascetic purity and consecration. To signify the completion 
(" declaring the fulfilment," Rev. Ver.) : That is, announcing when the time of the Nazarite 
vow would end. As we have seen, Paul's compliance with this was no violation of his 
principles, as he considered all these matters indifferent; but, all the same, his principles 
tended to the gradual subversion of Judaism, and the substitution of a spiritual Christianity. 



LESSON VI. 

PAUL ASSAILED. —Acts 21 : 27-40. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — In order to comprehend the situation and events of our les- 
son, we should remember that it was the feast of Pentecost, and that there were Jews in Jeru- 
salem come from all parts of the world to attend one of the two great annual Jewish festivals. 
It was now twenty years since Paul's face had been a familiar one at Jerusalem; but, 
meantime, it had become known and hated to the Jews of the dispersion in the prominent 
cities of Asia Minor and Greece. Wherever he had gone, he had preached to his country- 
men first, and had been uniformly rejected by them. Then he had uniformly turned from 
them to the Gentiles, — a proceeding which in itself excited their deepest resentment, — 
and had preached to them a gospel that wholly obliterated the old lines between Jew and 
Gentile, and proclaimed all to be alike before God. He had emphasized this universality of 
the gospel, and its independence of Judaism, in such a way as to create opposition in the 
Church itself. And so the Jews had, in many places, continued to oppose and persecute 
him after he had left them and gone to the Gentiles. Substantially, this had been the his- 
tory of his work in Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, in Thessalonica, Beroea, Corinth, 
and in Ephesus. Paul, therefore, had to meet two classes of enemies in Jerusalem: first, 
his Judaizing opponents within the Church; and, second, these unbelieving and imbittered 
Jews from the various cities in which his work had been done. He was in a fair way to 
silence the former by his gifts to the church at Jerusalem, and by his acceptance of the 
conciliatory advice of the eiders of the church. But, in this latter attempt, he only 
encountered his other enemies. The Jews from Asia, on the watch for something in his 
conduct which they could use to inflame the multitude against him, put together the fact 
that he had Gentile associates with him in the city, and that he himself was daily in the 
temple, and made out of them the charge that he was introducing Gentiles into the temple. 
It was, of course, false; but the spark fell into inflammable material. 



Lesson VI. 



PAUL ASSAILED. 



Acts 2\: 27-40. 



27 And when the seven days 
were almost ended, the Jews which 
were of Asia, when they saw him 
in the temple, stirred up all the 
people, and laid hands on him, 

28 Crying out, Men of Israel, 
help : This is the man, that teacheth 
all 7nen everywhere against the 
people, and the law, and this place : 
and further brought Greeks also 
into the temple, and hath polluted 
this holy place. 

29 (For they had seen before 
with him in the city Trophimus an 
Ephesian, whom they supposed 
that Paul had brought into the 
temple.) 



27 And when the seven days were 
almost completed, the Jews from 
Asia, when they saw him in the 
temple, stirred up all the multi- 
tude, and laid hands on him, 

28 crying out. Men of Israel, help : 
This is the man, that teacheth 
all men everywhere against the 
people, and the law, and this 
place : and moreover he brought 
Greeks also into the temple, and 
hath defiled this holy place. 

29 For they had before seen with 
him in the city Trophimus the 
Ephesian, whom they supposed 
that Paul had brought into the 

30 temple. And all the city was 



NOTES. — 27. The seven daijs tvere almost ended: Were about to be com- 
pleted. The seven days were probably the time that was left to complete the vow, when 
Paul entered into it. Tke Jews from Asia : That is, from the provinces on the eastern 
coast of the iEgean Sea, of which Ephesus was the chief city. Paul was just closing the 
missionary journey of which Ephesus was the centre; and their grievances against him 
were fresh in their minds. 

28, Help : Of course, this cry was uttered in the excitement of the moment, and there 
was no time to consider much what they should say or do; but, as a matter of fact, the 
success of their scheme depended on their creating a popular tumult, by which Paul should 
be put out of the way before the Roman authorities could interfere ; and so they call on 
the multitude to help them against this obnoxious despiser of the Jews. JLgainst the 
people, and the laiv, and this place: The accusation was skilfully made, and, 
from a Jewish point of view, was true; for the Jews assumed to be superior to other men, 
as the people of God, whereas Paul taught that all men were alike before God. He taught 
against the law, by ignoring its ceremonial part altogether, and showing that men were to 
be saved by faith, and not by legalism. He relieved this teaching, as much as possible, of 
its offensiveness, by not attempting to interfere in any way with the Jewish observance 
of the law; and yet the whole tendency of his teaching was to strip the law of every thing 
that made it local and peculiar, and to leave nothing except a universal moral law. His 
teachmg was directed against the temple; because, like Jesus himself, he taught the equal 
sacredness of all places, and denounced the ritualism for which the temple stood. Their 
persecution of Paul was justifiable, therefore, from their point of view, — that is, there was a 
radical opposition between them; but the question was about their view of things, and the 
right to persecute anyway. Jirouffht Greeks itito the temple : The word Greeks 
here stands for Gentiles generally. There was an outer court, called the court of the Gen- 
tiles, that was open to all; but the inner court was reserved for Israelites, and foreigners 
were forbidden to enter it on pain of death. Into the temple itself none but priests were 
admitted. It was this inner court, therefore, that is meant here. And hath polluted 
this holy place : That is, made it common by introducing into it others than the holy 
people to whom it was set apart. This charge was, therefore, the complement of the other. 
They accused Paul of teaching subversive of Judaism; and here was conduct alleged against 
him, breaking down the dividing line between Jews and Gentiles in the Jews' most holy 
place, — the very citadel of their exclusiveness. 

29. Trophiimis the Ephesian : One of the group of disciples who accompanied 
Paul on his return from Greece to Asia, at the close of his third missionary journey. It 
appears from this that he continued with the apostle from Asia to Jerusalem. He was 
very likely one of the delegates from the churches to Jerusalem in the matter of the con- 

19 



Lesson VI. 



PAUL ASSAILED. 



Acts 21 : 27-40. 



30 And all the city was moved, 
and the people ran together : and 
they took Paul, and drew him out 
of the temple : and forthwith the 
doors were shut. 

31 And as they went about to 
kill him, tidings came unto the chief 
captain of the band, that all Jerusa- 
lem was in an uproar. 

32 Who immediately took sol- 
diers and centurions, and ran down 
unto them : and when they saw the 
chief captain and the soldiers, they 
left beating of Paul. 

■}il Then the chief captain came 
near, and took him, and commanded 
hbji to be bound with two chains ; 
and demanded who he was, and 
what he had done. 

34 And some cried one thing, 
some another, among the multi- 



moved, and the people ran to- 
gether : and they laid hold on 
Paul, and dragged him out of 
the temple : and straightway the 

31 doors were shut. And as they 
were seeking to kill him, tidings 
came up to the ^ chief captain of 
the ^ band, that all Jerusalem 

32 was in confusion. And forth- 
with he took soldiers and cen- 
turions, and ran down upon 
them : and they, when they saw 
the chief captain and the sol- 
diers, left off beating Paul. 

'^'^ Then the chief captain came 
near, and laid hold on him, and 
commanded him to be bound 
with two chains ; and inquired 
who he was, and what he had 

34 done. And some shouted one 
thing, some another, among the 



Or, military tribtijie. Gr. chiliarch: and so throughout this book. 2 Qr, cohort. 



tribution to the poor Christians of that city. WJiom they sitpposed that Paul had 
brought into the temple : Suppositions are the convenient material for fanatical 
charges. They saw Trophinius with Paul; they saw Paul himself in the temple; they 
knew Paul's opinions; and so they inferred that the two had been in the temple together. 
It is a good way to reason when one Is sure of his judge and jury; and in this case these 
consisted of inflammable, fanatic Jews. 

30. And drew hitn out of the temple (" dragged him," Rev. Ver.) : The reason 
of this was, that the temple might not be defiled with blood. The closing of the doors was 
to shut out the mob. 

31. And as they tvent about to kill him ("were seeking to kill him," Rev. 
Ver.) : They had no weapons at hand probably, and were looking around for the readiest 
way to dispose of him. Z^nto the ehlef captain of the band : The tribune of the 
cohort literally. This was the usual garrison kept at Jerusalem by the Roman governor. 
It was a division of the legion, consisting of about five hundred or six hundred men. 
Strictly speaking, however, the tribunes, of which there were six to each legion, did not 
command a cohort, but took turns in commanding the whole legion. But the term came 
to be applied more loosely; and possibly, in a case like this, where a cohort was detached 
from the legion for separate service, a tribune might be detailed to command it. The Cas- 
tle of Antonia, where the garrison was quartered, was within easy call of the temple, being 
situated at the north-west angle of the temple enclosure, and with flights of steps leading 
down to it. The commander was thus able to pour into the enclosure any number of men 
necessary to quell a riot. 

32. Who immediately took soldiers and cenftirions : A centurion was in 
command of a hundred men. The immediateness of this action was in accordance with the 
Roman policy of keeping their subject populations strictly quiet, as any uproar among 
the people might be turned against the government; and this was especially so among 
the Jews, whose Messianic expectations at this time kept them in a continual ferment 
against Rome. 

33. With tu'O chains : Binding him to a soldier on each side of him. 

34. Some shouted one thiny, some another: As in the uproar at Ephesus 
(chapter 19: 32). The crowd, outside of the Jews from Asia, had only the vague, general 



Lesson VI. 



PAUL ASSAILED. 



Acts 21 : 27-40. 



tude : and when he could not know 
the certainty for the tumult, he 
commanded him to be carried into 
the castle. 

35 And when he came upon the 
stairs, so it was, that he was borne 
of the soldiers for the violence of 
the people. 

36 For the multitude of the peo- 
ple followed after, crying. Away 
with him. 

37 And as Paul was to be led 
into the castle, he said unto the 
chief captain, May I speak unto 
thee } Who said, Canst thou speak 
Greek ? 

38 Art not thou that Egyptian, 
which before these days madest an 
uproar, and leddest out into the 
wilderness four thousand men that 
were murderers .-* 

39 But Paul said, I am a man 
which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in 
Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city : 
and, I beseech thee, suffer me to 
speak unto the people. 

40 And when he had given him 
license, Paul stood on the stairs, 
and beckoned with the hand unto 



crowd : and when he could not 
know the certainty for the up- 
roar, he commanded him to be 

35 brought into the castle. And 
when he came upon the stairs, 
so it was, that he was borne of 
the soldiers for the violence of 

2,^ the crowd; for the multitude 
of the people followed after, 
crying, Away with him. 

37 And as Paul was about to be 
brought into the castle, he saith 
unto the chief captain. May I 
say something unto thee ? And 
he said. Dost thou know Greek ? 

38 Art thou not then the Egyptian, 
which before these days stirred 
up to sedition and led out into 
the wilderness the four thousand 

39 men of the Assassins ? But 
Paul said, I am a Jew, of Tar- 
sus in Cilicia, a citizen of no 
mean city : and I beseech thee, 
give me leave to speak unto 

40 the people. And when he had 
given him leave, Paul, standing 
on the stairs, beckoned with the 
hand unto the people ; and when 



knowledge of Paul's offence that these foreign Jews had brought them, and Lysias could 
get nothing definite from them. Into the castle : The word does not denote the cas- 
tle itself, but the soldiers' quarters within the castle, — the barracks. 

35. The stairs : Leading from the temple enclosure up to the castle. lie ivas 
borne of the soldiers : Just how this was done, we cannot tell. For mere safety, all 
that was necessary would be for the soldiers to put him in the midst of them, and form 
about him. Probably the pressure upon them crowded the soldiers upon him so, that he 
was borne off his feet. It was put in here, to show the violence of the crowd. 

36. Atvay tvith him : The cry of the multitude who demanded of Pilate that Jesus 
be put to death. It is addressed here to Lysias, the Roman commander. 

37. Canst thoti speah Greeh ? (" Dost thou know Greek ? " Rev. Ver.) ; The com- 
mander is surprised that he speaks Greek, supposing him to be the Egyptian of whom he 
speaks immediately, and of whom he knew that he could not speak that language. 

38. That Egyptian, etc. (" The Egyptian, which . . . stirred up to sedition and led 
out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the assassins," Rev. Ver.): This Egyptian 
is one of whom Josephus gives an account. He brought his followers to the Mount of 
Olives, where they expected to see the walls of Jerusalem fall down before him; but they 
were dispersed easily by the Roman forces, and their leader had fled. Lysias supposed 
that he had ventured out of his retirement, and that the people who had been deceived by 
him were about to sacrifice him to their wrath. He thought, therefore, that he was appre- 
hending a notorious political criminal. Assassins was the common name applied to the 
bandits who infested Palestine in this turbulent epoch. They formed the nucleus of the 
revolt which afterwards attached to itself many of tne people. 

39. A Jew of Tarsus, . , . a citizen of no mean city : Paul wishes to bring 
out distinctly the fact that he was a very different man from the one described. 



Lesson VII. 



PAUL'S DEFENCE. 



Acts 22 : 1-2I. 



the people. And when there was 
made a great silence, he spake unto 
theijt in the Hebrew tongue, saying, 



there was made a great silence, 
he spake unto them in the 
Hebrew language, saying. 



40. Ill the Uaht'itv toiujiie : That is, in the current Aramaic dialect of Palestine. 
He would be better understood in that, and it would tend to conciliate the people, to find him 
using their own language. 



LESSON VII. 



PAUL'S DEFENCE. —Acts 22 : 1-21. 



1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear 
ye my defence which I make now 
unto you. 

2 (And when they heard that he 
spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, 
they kept the more silence : and he 
saith,) 

3 I am verily a man luhich a?jz a 
Jew, born in Tarsus, a citym Cilicia, 
yet brought up in this city at the feet 



Brethren and fathers, hear ye 
the defence which I now make 
unio you. 

And when they heard that he 
spake unto them in the Hebrew 
language, they were the more 
quiet : and he saith, 

I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of 
Cilicia, but brought up in this 
city, at the feet of Gamaliel, in- 



A GENERAL VIEW. — In this defence of himself before the Jews, Paul adopted 
the same general line of argument which he followed in reviewing the charges against him 
before Agrippa, and in his statement of his position made to the Jews at Rome. This was, 
that what he had done in becoming a Christian, and in his preaching to the Gentiles, had 
been done by him as a Jew, and involved nothing that was not strictly consistent with his 
position as a Jew. In fact, this characterized all his thought about Christianity, and its 
relation to Judaism. There was no break with the religion of the Old Testament, but a 
fulfilment of its prophecies; and a strict development of its principles. In carrying out this 
general line of defence, he snows, first, that he was a Jew, instructed in their most famous 
school, and a zealot withal; and that, therefore, his present position is not in any way due 
to lack of instruction or of zeal. Secondly, That he was a firm persecutor of Christianity, 
and had, therefore, no leanings toward the new religion which would account for his pres- 
ent adherence to it. Thirdly, Ke tells the story of his conversion ; showing that he was met 
in the midst of this career of persecution by an undeniably supernatural appearance to him 
of the Jesus whom he was persecuting, leaving no room for doubt that his attitude toward 
him was wrong. Fourthly, He shows that Ananias, at whose hands he received his sight, 
and by whom he was baptized into the new faith, was also a pious and accepted Jew, who 
did every thing in the name of the God of their fathers. Fifthly, That his own desire had 
been to preach to his countrymen, but that Jesus had appeared to him again, appeared, too, 
while he was praying in the temple, and had sent him to the Gentiles. Every word in this 
was adapted to convince a fair-minded Jew that the God of the Jews — the one God — had 
brought Paul where he was; and that his Christianity was the inevitable sequel of his 
Judaism. 

NOTES. — I. T"ff titers . He sees members of the Sanhedrim in the crowd, and 
includes them in his address. 

2. See note on verse 40, in the preceding lesson. 

3. I nnt , , . a tn<ni, etc. (" I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up," 
Rev. Ver.) : He offsets the fact of his foreign birth with that of his strict Jewish training in 



Lesson VII. 



PAUL'S DEFENCE. 



Acts 22 : 1-2v 



of Gamaliel, and taught according 
to the perfect manner of the law of 
the fathers, and was zealous toward 
God, as ye all are this day. 

4 And I persecuted this way unto 
the death, bmdmg and delivernig 
into prisons both men and women. 

5 Asalso the high priest doth bear 
me witness, and all the estate of the 
elders : from whom also I received 
letters unto the brethren, and went 
to Damascus, to bring them which 
were there bound unto Jerusalem, 
for to be punished. 

6 And it came to pass, that, as I 
made my journey, and was come 
nigh unto Damascus about noon, 
suddenly there shone from heaven a 
great light round about me. 

7 And I fell unto the ground, and 
heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, 
Saul, why persecutest thou me .-* 

8 And I answered, Who art thou. 
Lord.? And he said unto me, I am 
Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou per- 
secutest. 

9 And they that were with me 
saw indeed the light, and were afraid ; 



structed according to the strict 
manner of the law of our fathers, 
being zealous for God, even as 

4 ye all are this day : and I perse- 
cuted this Way unto the death, 
binding and delivering into pris- 

5 ons both men and women. As 
also the high priest doth bear me 
witness, and all the estate of the 
elders : from whom also I re- 
ceived letters unto the brethren, 
and journeyed to Damascus, to 
bring them also which were there 
unto Jerusalem in bonds, for to 

6 be punished. And it came to 
pass, that, as I made my journey, 
and drew nigh unto Damascus, 
about noon, suddenly there shone 
from heaven a great light round 

7 about me. And I fell unto the 
ground, and heard a voice saying 
unto me, Saul, Saul, why perse- 

8 cutest thou me t And I an- 
swered. Who art thou, Lord .'' 
And he said unto me, I am Jesus 
of Nazareth, whom thou perse- 

9 cutest. And they that were with 
me beheld indeed the light, but 



Jerusalem. He was no half-Jew, in spite of his birth. A.ecording to the perfect 

manner (" the strict manner," Rev. Ver.) : That is, with all that strict attention to minu- 
tiae and details that characterized Mosaism, especially as it was interpreted m the rabbinical 
schools. Zealous toivard God: He had imbibed not only the punctilious strictness 
of a rabbinical Jew, but also that fierce zeal that belonged to such. 

4. And I persecuted this way : That is, those belonging to this way. Christian- 
ity is conceived as a road m which men walk, a way, or course, of living. It is contrasted 
here with the Jewish way. This is, in the original, a relative clause, and it reads, beiiig a 
zealot for God . . . ivho persecuted, etc. He represents his zeal as taking this same 
form that theirs took. 

5, As also the high priest doth hear me tvitness : Is my witness The high 
priest meant is the one in office at the time spoken of, and still living. There were two 
changes in the office during the time of two years within which Paul's conversion may have 
taken place; so that either Caiaphas, Jonathan, or Theophilus may be meant. And all 
the estate of the elders : The eldership, or presbytery, by which is meant here the 
Sanhedrim. Unto the brethren : That is, the Jews at Damascus. He is speaking 
now as a Jew. 

7. Saul, Satil, xvhij persecutest thou me ? This is the turning-point in Paul's 
career, the thing which turned aside his zeal from Judaism to Christianity. In that moment 
Jesus became his master, and as sudden as the flash of light must have been the conviction 
that all his rabbinical interpretation of Judaism must be wrong. He must part company 
^vith all his old ideas; since these had made him a persecutor of Christianity, and could not 
possibly be made to consist with the now established fact of the truth of Jesus' claims. 

8. WJio art than, Loi'd '/ He recognizes that it is some supernatural voice, of God 
or angel, that has spoken to him, but does not yet know whose it is. 

9. Satv indeed the light, and tvere afraid; but they heard not the 
voice : Omit and were afraid (Rev. Ver.). Luke says that they heard the voice, but 

23 



Lesson VII. 



PAUL'S DEFENCE. 



Acts 22 : I-2I. 



but they heard not the voice of him 
that spake to me. 

10 And I said, What shall I do, 
Lord ? And the Lord said unto me, 
Arise, and go into Damascus ; and 
there it shall be told thee of all 
things which are appointed for thee 
to do. 

11 And when I could not see for 
the glory of that light, being led by 
the hand of them that were with me, 
I came into Damascus. 

12 And one Ananias, a devout 
man according to the law, having a 
good report of all the Jews which 
dwelt there, 

13 Came unto me, and stood, and 
said unto me, Brother Saul, receive 
thy sight. And the same hour I 
looked up upon him. 

14 And he said, The God of our 
fathers hath chosen thee, that thou 
shouldest know his will, and see that 
Just One, and shouldest hear the 
voice of his mouth. 

15 P"or thou shalt be his witness 
unto all men of what thou hast seen 
and heard. 



they heard not the voice of him 

10 that spake to me. And I said, 
What shall I do, Lord .? And the 
Lord said unto me, Arise, and 
go into Damascus ; and there it 
shall be told thee of all things 
which are appointed for thee to 

11 do. And when I could not see 
for the glory of that light, being 
led by the hand of them that were 
with me, I came into Damascus. 

12 And one Ananias, a devout man 
according to the law, well report- 
ed of by all the Jews that dwelt 

13 there, came unto me, and stand- 
ing by me said unto me. Brother 
Saul, receive thy sight. And in 
that very hour I ' looked up on 

14 him. And he said. The God of 
our fathers hath appointed thee 
to know his will, and to see the 
Righteous One, and to hear a 

15 voice from his mouth. For thou 
shalt be a witness for him unto 
all men of what thou hast seen 

16 and heard. And now why tarri- 



^ Or, received my sight and looked upon him. 



saw no man (chapter 9: 7). The probable explanation is, that they saw the light, but could 
distinguish no form ; and heard the voice, but without imderstanding what was said. 

10. There it shall he told thee : In chapter 26: 16-18, Paul omits the whole of the 
Ananias episode, and so puts into the mouth of Jesus himself what, according to this account, 
must have been said to him by Ananias. This often happens in condensed narrative. 

12. A devout man according to the law, hainng a good report of all the 
tTeivs : All that we are told of him in the other account is that he was a disciple. Paul 
introduces this fact, that he was a devout Jew, in the interest of his argument, to show how 
his conversion to Christianity was not such as to make him lose his hold on the religion of 
his fathers. He had received what was evidently a divine revelation ; and now he was to be 
initiated into the new faith by a Jew who was a strict observer of the law, and of good stand- 
ing among the Jews. 

13. And stood, and said ("and standing by me, said," Rev. Ver.). Brother 
Saul : This is a significant address, as showing that Ananias considered him already, 
though not formally, a Christian. Receive thy sight: This is the same word that is 
translated " looked up," in the last part of the verse. Probably it means " look up "in 
both cases. In this case, the recovery of sight is plainly implied. 

14. TJie God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that tJio%( shouldest Tcnow 
his tvill : That is, probably, his will concerning you. Paul was to be distinguished from 
other men by having an express revelation of the divine will made to him. The statement 
that this was done by " the God of our fathers " is also a part of the apostle's argument. 
The liighteoiis One : See 3: 14; 7: 52. Paul was not only to have God's will declared 
to him, but to see the Righteous One in whom that will was done perfectly. This actual 
beholding of Jesus by Paul is referred to in chapter 9: 17; 26: 16; i Cor. 15: 8. 

15. Mis ivitness tinto all men: Not only Paul's Christianity, but especially his 

24 



Lesson VII. 



PAUL'S DEFENCE. 



Acts 22 : I-2I. 



i6 And now why tarriest thou? 
arise, and be baptized, and wash 
away thy sins, calling on the name 
of the Lord. 

17 And it came to pass, that, when 
I was come again to Jerusalem, even 
while I prayed in the temple, I was 
in a trance ; 

18 And saw him saying unto me, 
Make haste, and get thee quickly 
out of Jerusalem : for they will not 
receive thy testimony concerning 
me. 

19 And I said. Lord, they know 
that I imprisoned and beat in every 
synagogue them that believed on 
thee : 

20 And when the blood of thy 
martyr Stephen was shed, I also 
was standing by, and consenting 
unto his death, and kept the rai- 
ment of them that slew him. 



est thou ? arise, and be baptized, 
and wash away thy sins, calling 

17 on his name. And it came to 
pass, that, when I had returned 
to Jerusalem, and while I prayed 
in the temple, I fell into a trance, 

18 and saw him saying unto me, 
Make haste, and get thee quickly 
out of Jerusalem : because they 
will not receive of thee testi- 

19 mony concerning me. And I 
said, Lord, they themselves 
know that I imprisoned and 
beat in every synagogue them 

20 that believed on thee : and when 
the blood of Stephen thy wit- 
ness was shed, I also was stand- 
ing by, and consenting, and 
keeping the garments of them 

21 that slew him. And he said 



denial of Jewish exclusiveness, his taking down of the bars between Jews and Gentiles, was 
in question; and here he shows his divine authority for that. 

16. And ivnsh aivay thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord : Two 
things are noticeable in regard to the New Testament doctrine of the forgiveness of sins: 
first, that it is generally represented as conditioned on the spiritual state of the man; and, 
second, that it seems, in some few passages like this, to be connected with baptism. This 
can only be explained on the ground that baptism is something more than a symbol of a 
past act, on which act forgiveness is based. Baptism is an act of confession, of public 
initiation into the Christian life; and confession is a spiritual, and so a proper, condition of 
forgiveness. On the name of the Lord (" on his name," Rev. Ver.). 

17. When I xvas come again to tJerusalem : After three years, most of it 
spent in Arabia (Gal. i: 17, 18). Even rvhile L sprayed in the temple ("and 
while," Rev. Ver.): This circumstance again shows Paul's apologetic purpose. He repre- 
sents his commission to this part of his work, which was the most repugnant to the Jews, 
as coming to him when he was performing a Jewish act of worship. It was a divine reve- 
lation, coming to him in the sacred precincts of the Jewish temple. 

18. 3Iake haste, and get thee qnickly out of ffernsalem : In chapter 9: 
29, 30, it is stated that there was an actual plot of the Jews to put him to death, and that 
the brethren therefore hastened to get him out of the city. The two accounts may be put 
together easily, by supposing that the revelation came in to confirm the advice of the 
brethren; or that the plot against him, and the consequent haste of the brethren to send him 
away, confirmed the revelation. The reason that the Lord gives is not the danger to be 
encountered, but the uselessness of his work. 

19. And L said. Lord, they knoiv, etc.: Paul thought that he saw in this a 
reason why they would listen to him. He had occupied the same position as they, was 
recognized by them as a leader, and had been among the most zealous opponents of the 
new sect. His personal history would have more weight there than anywhere. 

20. I'hy martyr Steplien (" Stephen thy witness," Rev. Ver.) : Martyr is the 
Greek word for witness, but in English it has come to have the additional meaning of one 
who seals his testimony by suffering and death; but the Greek word at this time had no 
such meaning. Unto his death : Omit as in Revised Version. 



25 



Lesson VIII. PAUL BEFORE THE COUNCIL. Acts 2y.\-\i. 



21 And he said unto me, Depart: 
for I will send thee far hence unto 
the Gentiles. 



unto me. Depart: for I will 
send thee forth far hence unto 
the Gentiles. 



21. Depart: for I trill send thee . . . unto the Gentiles : Jesus saw, what 
Paul did not see, that his history was of a kind to convince unprejudiced men, but not 
prejudiced Jews. Moreover, he saw in Paul a greater adaptation to do a greater work. 
He had found the man to carry the gospel to the Gentiles, and to give it the necessary 
breadth of a universal religion. Paul introduces this statement to show that he went to 
the obnoxious Gentiles, not of his own motion, but because the Lord sent him. 



LESSON VIII. 



PAUL BEFORE THE COUNCIL. —Acts 23: 1-11. 

A GENERAL VIEW. —Our last lesson closed without giving us an account of 
the result of Paul's address to the people. In spite of the apostle's carefully prepared 
defence, it was prejudice, and not reason, that he had to deal with in his audience; and 
they turned on him with fanatical fury the moment that the real cause of controversy was 
reached. Then the commander of the Roman gairison ordered him to be scourged, in 
order to extract from him by torture what he had failed as yet to get out of any one, — the 
cause of all this uproar against him. But Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship against 
this: and so finally he brought Paul before the Sanhedrim, that he might have it decided 
by that tribunal what was the cause of complaint. In order to understand what Paul did 
there, and the instantaneous effect produced by it, we must keep in mind the radical and 
bitter hostility between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They might unite momentarily 
against a common foe; but one might at any time, by taking sides in one of their controver- 
sies, change all that. For the Sadducees lepresented the waning power of the priesthood, 
and the Pharisees the rising power of the rabbis; the Sadducees believed in nothing but 
a written law, while the Pharisees were zealous defenders of an oral law handed down by 
tradition from Moses, the Sadducees did not receive the doctrine of a future state, because 
it was not contained in the Pentateuch, while the Pharisees made it a prime article in their 
traditional code. Added to all this was a difference of spirit: the Pharisees being zealous, 
punctilious, fanatical Jews; and the Sadducees, easy-going, mild Jews, rather inclined to 
be worldly and sceptical. Paul was appealing to one of the strongest of even religious 
prejudices, when he said, " I am a Pharisee." 



I And Paul, earnestly beholding 
the council, said, Men andf breth- 
ren, I have lived in all good con- 
science before God until this dav. 



I And Paul, looking steadfastly 
on the council, said, Brethren, 
I have lived before God in all 
jjood conscience until this dav. 



NOTES. — I. Enrttesthf heholdinrf the council: Having fixed his gaze on 
them. It marks the fearlessness of the apostle's demeanor. The council is here the San- 
hedrim. I have lived in all good conscience before God: The verb means 
more than simply to live: it denotes the performance of a man's duties as a citizen, and 
here as a member of the kingdom oi God. In one sense, this was, therefore, an answer to 
the charge brought against him, which was that he was derelict as a Jew, a member of 
God's chosen people. In all f/ood conscience : This was always Paul's boast. He 
was conscious of fearful mistakes, but he was from the beginning a morally earnest man, 
squaring his conduct with his conscience. He claims for himself here what he elsewhere 
allows to the Jews (Rom. lo: 2). Whatever may be the differences, they have a common 
zeal toward God; and one should not therefore be persecuting the other. 



Lesson VIII. PAUL BEFORE THE COUNCIL. Acts 2y.\-\i. 



2 And the high priest Ananias 
commanded them that stood by him 
to smite him on the mouth. 

3 Then said Paul unto him, God 
shall smite thee, thou whited wall : 
for sittest thou to judge me after 
the law, and commandest me to be 
smitten contrary to the law? 

4 And they that stood by said, 
Revilest thou God's high priest ? 

5 Then said Paul, I wist not, 
brethren, that he was the high 
priest : for it is written, Thou shalt 
not speak evil of the ruler of thy 
people. 

6 But Avhen Paul perceived that 
the one part were Sadducees, and the 
other Pharisees, he cried out in the 



2 And the high priest Ananias 
commanded them that stood by 
hnn to smite him on the mouth. 

3 Then said Paul unto him, God 
shall smite thee, thou whited 
wall : and sittest thou to judge 
me according to the law, and 
commandest me to be smitten 

4 contrary to the law ? And they 
that stood by said, Revilest 

5 thou God's high priest .? And 
Paul said, I w^ist not, brethren, 
that he was high priest : for 
it is written, Thou shalt not 
speak evil of a ruler of thy 

6 people. But when Paul per- 
ceived that the one part were 
Sadducees, and the other Phari- 



2. T1i,e high priest Ananias : He was appointed to the office in A.D. 48, and 
was deposed by Felix in A.D. 60 or 61. Them that stood by him : The official 
attendants of the court. To smite him on the month : To stop what he considered 
his insolence; for so, evidently, the high priest construed his fearless and independent 
assertion of his innocence. 

3. God shall smite thee : The expression here denotes what is sure to take place, 
— a certainty based on Paul's assurance of God's justice. Thou wJiited tvall : This 
refers to the habit of the Jews of painting the outside of their sepulchres white, so warning 
persons of their presence, in order to prevent defilement. This gave a fair exterior to what 
was repulsive within, and so the term came to denote a hypocrite. Paul shows, in what fol- 
lows, the special form of hypocrisy. He was a judge violating the law. Contrary to 
the lair : That is, the law against condemning a man unheard. A good deal has been 
written for and against the Christian character of this utterance of the apostle. It can all 
be summed up in the statement, that it expressed a righteous indignation, but that there 
was a good deal of human nature in it. 

4. TJiey that stood by : The officers of the court, as in verse 2. 

5. J n-ist not, brethren , that lie ivas the high priest : This is very singular, 
as the high priest was the president of the court, ex-officio ; and his dress and position 
would point him out. Moreover, Paul's reason for not speaking so to the high priest would 
apply equally well to the other members of the Sanhedrim ; and he must have known that 
it was some member of the court, for he speaks of his sitting to judge him (verse 3). These 
considerations absolutely exclude every explanation, except that Paul spoke here ironically; 
unless, indeed, we suppose that he was speaking under strong excitement, so that we need 
look for nothing more than a right spirit in what he says, and not for logical coherence. 
If Paul meant to be ironical, then his " I did not know " resolves itself into " I could not 
be supposed to know that such a man was high priest; " and the irony is extended to the 
quotation that follows. But it must be said that this is an extremely improbable supposition 
in itself, though not impossible, as the rest are. But, if he spoke under excitement, then 
we may suppose, readily enough, that his attention was called elsewhere, at the time that 
the high priest spoke, so that he did not know who was speaking; but that, in giving his 
reason for not using such language, he forgot that it would apply equally well to the other 
members of the Sanhedrim, while he must have known that it was one of the council who 
had spoken. For it is tvritten : The quotation is from Exod. 22: 28. 

6. Unt when JPanl pereeived : But Paul, knowing. He did not perceive it now 
for the first time, but it was a fact well known to him. I am a Pharisee, the son of 
a PJiarisee (" a son of Pharisees," P,.ev. Ver.) : He does not refer to his two parents, as 

?7 



Lesson VIII. PAUL BEFORE THE COUNCIL. Acts 2y.\-\\. 



council, Men mid brethren, I am a 
Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee : of 
the hope and resurrection of the 
dead I am called in question. 

7 And when he had so said, there 
arose a dissension between the 
Pharisees and the Sadducees : and 
the multitude was divided. 

8 For the Sadducees say that 
there is no resurrection, neither 
angel, nor spirit : but the Pharisees 
confess both. 

9 And there arose a great cry : 
and the scribes that were of the 
Pharisees' part arose, and strove, 
saying, We find no evil in this man : 
but if a spirit or an angel hath 
spoken to him, let us not fight 
against God. 

ID And when there arose a great 
dissension, the chief captain, fearing 
lest Paul should have been pulled 
in pieces of them, commanded the 
soldiers to go down, and to take him 
by force from among them, and to 
bring him into the castle. 



sees, he cried out in the council, 
Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son 
of Pharisees : touching the hope 
and resurrection of the dead I 

7 am called in question. And 
when he had so said, there arose 
a dissension between the Phari- 
sees and Sadducees : and the 

8 assembly was divided. For the 
Sadducees say that there is no 
resurrection, neither angel, nor 
spirit : but the Pharisees con- 

9 fess both. And there arose a 
great clamour : and some of the 
scribes of the Pharisees' part 
stood up, and strove, saying, 
We find no evil in this man : 
and what if a spirit hath spoken 

lo to him, or an angel } And when 
there arose a great dissension, 
the chief captain, fearing lest 
Paul should be torn in pieces by 
them, commanded the soldiers 
to go down and take him by 
force from among them, and 
bring him into the castle. 



his mother's faith would not be considered, but to his father and grandfather, and possibly 
even to eariier generations. Of the hope atid resurrection: That is, of the hope 
of the resurrection. This statement of the apostle, that he was a Pharisee, was partly true, 
enough so to suit his purpose, and warrant his statement. He was not a defender of tradi- 
tionalism or ceremonialism, nor a fanatical Jew, on the one side ; but he was a Pharisee in 
his opposition to the indifference, worldliness, and scepticism of the Sadducees. Above all, 
he was, with the Pharisees, a believer in the future state. He saw, in this relation to one 
of the two parties before him, an opportunity to divide the assembly, and possibly to put 
the larger part of the assembly on his side. He knew their temper too well, however, to 
expect any permanent result, or any thing more than a mere temporary diversion. 

8. Xo resurrectioUf neitJier aiigel, nor spirit : That is, neither angel nor any 
kind of spirit. TJie Fharisees confess both : Both the resurrection and the exist- 
ence of spirits. These two go together. The Sadducee was a materialist, who believed 
that the soul was a finer substance than the body, but still matter, and that it v/ould perish 
therefore with the body. Confess is a common word to denote the declaration of a 
belief. 

9. A.nd the scribes that tvere of the Pharisees' part: And some of the 
scribes of the party of the Pharisees. The scribes, or rabbis, were the natural leaders of 
the Pharisees, as the priests of the Sadducees. A.nd strove: Against the Sadducees. 
Sut if a spirit or an aiifjel Jiath spohen to him, let ?/s not fight against 
God (" and what if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel," Rev. Ver.) : The implied 
conclusion is. What can ive do then ? This supposition would account for the super- 
natural appearances related by Paul, in such a way as to furnish them a weapon against 
their old enemies, the Sadducees. It was a sly hit at them. 

10. Fearivg lest Paul sliould have been pulled in pieces of them : In the 
fierce attempts of the two parties to get possession of him. It would seem as if Lysias 
must have left Paul without sufficient guard. And now, to remedy that, he sends down the 
soldiery to protect him. The castle : The barracks (see note on 21 : 37). 

28 



Lesso7t IX. 



PAUL SENT TO FELIX. 



Acts 23: 12-24. 



II And the night following the 
Lord stood by him, and said, Be of 
good cheer, Paul : for as thou hast 
testified of me in Jerusalem, so 
must thou bear witness also at 
Rome. 



And the night following the 
Lord stood by him, and said, 
Be of good cheer : for as thou 
hast testified concerning me at 
Jerusalem, so must thou bear 
witness also at Rome. 



II. He of good cJteer, JPaul : Omit Paul (Rev. Ver.). The reason given implies 
that he would escape the present danger, and assures him, too, that he would carry out his 
favorite plan of preaching the gospel at Rome. 



LESSON IX. 



PAUL SENT TO FELIX.— Acts 23 : 12-24. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — The Roman government was the great obstacle in the 
way of Jewish persecution. Under the Jewish law, which made religious offences capital 
crimes, the way was clear for the dominant party in religion to get rid of religious innova- 
tors, like Jesus and Paul; but Palestine was now a province of Rome, and the empire 
reserved to itself the right of trying all capital offences : hence it was necessary to prove 
against obnoxious persons some offence against Roman law. Humanly speaking, it would 
have been impossible for Christianity to have got a foothold in Judsea, except under this 
iBgis of the Roman law. This is what made the nefarious plot against Paul, narrated in 
our lesson, possible. If the Jews had not been a subject people, they could have punished 
him under the forms of law; but, being unable to do this, they considered themselves 
justified in resorting to plots, conspiracies, and assassinations, in order to accomplish their 
religious purposes, and punish blasphemers. They chafed terribly at their inability to 
guard the purity of religion by civil laws and penalties, and did not scruple in such a junc- 
ture to take the law into their own hands. So far as it is a justification, these more than 
forty Jews are entitled to this explanation, that they were religious enthusiasts, who thought 
that their holy work made assassination a service of God. 



12 And when it was day, certain 
of the Jews banded together, and 
bound themselves under a curse, 
saying that they would neither eat 
nor drink till they had killed Paul. 

13 And they were more than 
forty which had made this con- 
spiracy. 

14 And they came to the chief 
priests and elders, and said, We 
have bound ourselves under a great 



12 And when it was day, the 
Jews banded together, and 
bound themselves under a 
curse, saying that they would 
neither eat nor drink till they 

13 had killed Paul. And they 
were more than forty which 

14 made this conspiracy. And 
they came to the chief priests 
and the elders, and said. We 
have bound ourselves under a 



NOTES. — 12. Certain of the tTetvs banded together : Omit certain of 
(Rev. Ver.). Some copyist inserted the words as an explanatory gloss. Saying that 
they uiould neither eat 7ior drink: In case they were prevented, without any 
fault of theirs, from carrying out their oath, they could be absolved from it; but they 
invoked on themselves the most terrible divine penalties, in case they failed to do what 
their oath required of them. 

13. This conspiracy : Literally, this swearing together. The word brings out the 
fact of the oath which they took together. 

14. The chief priests and the elders: Probably, though not certainly, the Sadducees 
alone in the Sanhedrim were concerned in this plot : the Pharisees had taken sides with 

29 



Lessofi IX. 



PAUL SENT TO FELIX. 



Acts 23 : 1 2-24. 



curse, that we will eat nothing un- 
til we have slain Paul. 

15 Now therefore ye with the 
council signify to the chief captain 
that he bring him down unto you 
to-morrow, as though ye would 
inquire something more' perfectly 
concerning him : and we, or ever 
he come near, are ready to kill him. 

16 And when Paul's sister's son 
heard of their lying in wait, he went 
and entered into the castle, and told 
Paul. 

17 Then Paul called one of the 
centurions unto hifti, and said, 
Bring this young man unto the 
chief captain : for he hath a certain 
thing to tell him. 

18 So he took him, and brought 
him to the chief captain, and said, 
Paul the prisoner called me unto 
hh?i, and prayed me to bring this 
young man unto thee, who hath 
something to say unto thee. 

19 Then the chief captain took 
him by the hand, and went tvith 
him aside privately, and asked him. 
What is that thou hast to tell me ? 



great curse, to taste nothing un- 

15 til we have killed Paul. Now 
therefore do ye with the coun- 
cil signifv to the chief captain 
that he bring him down unto 
you, as though ye would judge 
of his case more exactly: and 
we, or ever he come near, are 

16 ready to slay him. But Paul's 
sister's son heard of their lying 
in wait, ^ and he came and en- 
tered into the castle, and told 

17 Paul. And Paul called unto 
him one of the centurions, and 
said, Bring this young man unto 
the chief captain : for he hath 

18 something to tell him. So he 
took him, and brought him to 
the chief captain, and saith, 
Paul the prisoner called me 
unto him, and asked me to bring 
this young man unto thee, who 
hath something to say to thee. 

19 And the chief captain took him 
by the hand, and going aside 
asked him privatelv. What is 

20 that thou hast to tell me "i And 
he said, The Jews have agreed 



Or, havi7ig come iti upon them, and he entered, etc. 



Paul only the day before. It is in accordance with this, that the scribes are not men- 
tioned, as they would belong principally to the Pharisees. But it is by no means certain 
that the Pharisees could be diverted from their intense hostility to the renegade Paul for 
even so long a time as this; and, moreover, this whole proceeding has the Pharisaic 
fierceness and fanaticism about it. The chief priests were the heads of the twenty-four 
courses into which the priesthood was divided for the performance of its duties. 

15. Koiv tlievefore ye with the council signify : F> is emphatic, indicating 
their part in the scheme, over against that cf the conspirators. IVz'i/t the council indicates 
that only a part of the Sanhedrim were approached, but that the conspirators wished these 
to associate with them the whole body, making it their act. XTnto you to~motn'otv : 
To-morroiu is to be omitted (Rev. Ver.). A.S thouffh ye ivonld inquire some- 
thing more perfectly concerning him ("as though ye would judge of his case 
more exactly," Rev. Ver.): The verb means to make a judicial inquiry or investigation. 
Or ever he come near: Before he has come near; i.e., to the place of assembly. 
Their purpose was to kill him on the v/ay. 

16. And when faul's sister's son heard : And Paul's sister's son having heard. 
The participle may be rendered by a temporal clause, but it denotes here something more 
than the time of the event. Whether this young man's family was resident at Jerusalem, 
and whether he or they were Christians, are matters of conjecture. Entered into the 
castle, and told Paul : As Paul was in prison awaiting the decision of the question 
whether there was any charge against him that would make him amenable to Roman law, 
and rather to keep him from the violence of his countrymen than any thing else, he would 
not be kept, probably, in very rigorous imprisonment ; and his friends were permitted to see 
him. 

19. Took him by the hand : The young man was probably quite young and timid, 

30 



Lesson IX. 



PAUL SENT TO FELIX. 



Acts 23: 12-24. 



20 And he said, The Jews have 
agreed to desire thee that thou 
wouldest bring down Paul to-mor- 
row into the council, as though they 
would inquire somewhat of him 
more perfectly. 

21 But do not thou yield unto 
them : for there lie in wait for him 
of them more than forty men, which 
have bound themselves with an 
oath, that they will neither eat nor 
drink till they have killed him : 
and now are they ready, looking 
for a promise from thee. 

22 So the chief captain then let 
the young man depart, and charged 
him. See than tell no man that thou 
hast showed these things to me. 

23 And he called unto him two 
centurions, saying, Make ready two 
hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, 
and horsemen threescore and ten, 
and spearmen two hundred, at the 
third hour of the night ; 

24 And provide them beasts, that 



to ask thee to bring down Paul 
to-morrow unto the council, as 
though thou wouldest inquire 
somewhat more exactly concern- 

21 ing him. Do not thou therefore 
yield unto them : for there lie 
in wait for him of them more 
than forty men, which have 
bound themselves under a curse, 
neither to eat nor to drink till 
they have slain him : and now 
are they ready, looking for the 

22 promise from thee. So the 
chief captain let the young man 
go, charging him, Tell no man 
that thou hast signified these 

23 things to me. And he called 
unto him two of the centurions, 
and said. Make ready two hun- 
dred soldiers to go as far as 
Caesarea, and horsemen three- 
score and ten, and spearmen two 
hundred, at the third hour of the 

24 night : and he bade them provide 
beasts, that they might set Paul 



and Lysias wished to re-assure him. It was evidently a matter of secrecy and importance 
that he wished to communicate, and so Lysias took him aside. 

20. As thotigh tlicy would inquire someit'hnt of hitn more perfectly 
("as though thou wouldest inquire somewhat more exactly concerning him," Rev. Ver.) : 
Paul was brought before the Sanhedrim originally by the commander of the garrison, in 
order that he might find out through their examination what the charge against him was. 
As that examination had been interrupted, the pretext for this was the commander's desire 
to prosecute the inquiry farther. 

21. But do 7iot thoii ("Do not thou therefore," Rev. Ver.). With an oath 
("with a curse," Rev. Ver.): They invoked a curse on themselves if they did not fulfil 
their oath. Loohing for a promise from thee (" the promise," Rev. Ver.). 

13. A.nd he called unto him ttvo centurions : Some two of the centurions. The 
number is left indefinite by this expression, — two or three of them. It was a large force 
that he was sending, and needed to be adequately commanded. Ttvo hundred soldiers : 
The ordinary heavily armed foot-soldier is meant. To go to Caesarea : Caesarea was 
the residence of the Roman governors of Judaea. It was a magnificent city, built by Herod 
the Great, and situated about seventy miles north-west of Jerusalem, on the coast. In 
reality, this part of the force went only to Antipatris, about two-thirds of the distance to 
Caesarea. Hpearmen tivo htindred: The word translated spearitien is very rare, 
and there Is no definite indication of its meaning. Probably it denotes some kind of light- 
armed troops; not spearmen, as the spear was a heavy arm. The third hour of the 
night : Nine o'clock. 

24. Arid provide them beasts ("And Ae bade them provide beasts," Rev. Ver.): 
More than one; in order to have one in reserve, incase of accident or fatigue. And 
bring him safe : The word is such as to lay stress on the safety; for this was a tur- 
bulent period in Judaea, and evidently Paul was especially obnoxious to the Jews. Felix 
the governor : The proper name of the governor of Judaea was procurator. The 
country was really a part of the province of Syria; but, owing to the fact that the Jews 
were so distinct a people, they were ruled by a procurator, as a separate, but subordinate, 
district, Titus Numldius Quadratus was legate of Syria at this time, and Claudius (or 

31 



Lesson X. 



PAUL BEFORE FELIX. 



Acts 24 : 10-27. 



they may set Paul on, and bring hi7?i 
safe unto Felix the governor. 



thereon, and bring him safe unto 
Felix the governor. 



Antonius) Felix was procurator of Judsea. The rule of Felix was not only stern and rigor- 
ous, as the turbulent state of the country demanded, but " mean, cruel, and profligate." 
He was procurator from A.D. 53 to 60. 



LESSON X. 

PAUL BEFORE FELIX.— Acts 24: 10-27. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — Lysias, in sending his prisoner to Felix, represented that 
he had rescued him from the Jews, and had found, after examination, that he was accused 
of nothing that would make him amenable to Roman law. He had sent him to Felix be- 
cause of the plot of the Jews against him, and would send his accusers after him. In 
accordance with this, Ananias, the high priest, and the elders had come down to Csesarea 
with TertuUus, a professional advocate, and presented their case against Paul. Tertullus 
had made three charges against him: first, of stirring up dissension among the Jews 
throughout the world; secondly, of being a leader of the sect of the Nazarenes; and, thirdly, 
of polluting the temple. He tries to make it appear, that, in accordance with the nature 
of these offences, Paul was about to be tried by the Jews under their law, but had been 
taken from them, violently by the commander of the garrison. Apparently, the object was 
to persuade Felix to deliver him over to the Jews again for trial ; an attempt which they 
repeated when Festus came into office. Paul, in his reply, denies, first, the charge of 
making any disturbance in the temple, the synagogue, or the city, during his stay in Jeru- 
salem, to which he properly confines his defence. Secondly, he shows that Christianity is 
not a departure from the Jewish religion sanctioned by Roman law, but is conformed to the 
Jewish Scriptures ; and that he himself is a conscientious observer of it. Thirdly, he comes 
to the immediate occasion of the tumult against him, and alleges that he came to Jerusalem* 
for the peaceful purpose of bringing gifts to his nation, and temple-offerings for himself; 
and that, in pursuance of this object, he had been found in the temple ; but not polluting 
it, nor creating any disturbance. And, finally, he challenges his accusers to bring proof of 
their charges. 



10 Then Paul, after that the gov- 
ernor had beckoned unto hnn to 
speak, answered, Forasmuch as I 
know that thou hast been of many 
years a judge unto this nation, I do 
the more cheerfully answer for my- 
self: 

11 Because that thou mayest un- 
derstand, that there are yet but 
twelve days since I went up to Jeru- 
salem for to worship. 



ID And when the governor had 
beckoned unto him to speak, 
Paul answered, 

Forasmuch as I know that thou 
hast been of many years a judge 
unto this nation, I do cheerfully 

1 1 make my defence : seeing that 
thou canst take knowledge, that 
it is not more than twelve days 
since I went up to worship at 

12 Jerusalem : and neither in the 



NOTES. — 10. Many years a judge : Five years. He became procurator in A.D. 
53, and it was now A.D. 58. I do ihe tnore cheerftiUy austver for myself (" I do 

cheerfully make my defence," Rev. Ver.) ; He considers that his long service in the country 
would make the procurator familiar with its customs, and especially with the matters at issue 
between Christians and Jews, so that he would not be misled easily by false statements. 

II. JBecanse that Ihoii mayest nnderstand ("seeing that thou canst take 
knowledge," Rev. Ver.) : The idea is, that Felix, owing to his acquaintance with the 

32 



Lesson X. 



PAUL BEFORE FELIX. 



Ads 24: 10-27. 



12 And they neither found me in 
the temple disputing with any man, 
neither raising up the people, neither 
in the synagogues, nor in the city : 

13 Neither can they prove the 
things whereof they now accuse me. 

14 But this I confess unto thee, 
that after the way which they call 
heresy, so worship I the God of my 
fathers, believing all things which 
are written in the law and in the 
prophets : 

15 And have hope toward God, 
which they themselves also allow, 
that there shall be a resurrection of 
the dead, both of the just and 
unjust. 

16 And herein do I exercise my- 
self, to have always a conscience 
void of offence toward God, and 
toward men. 



temple did they find me disput- 
ing with any man or stirring up 
a crowd, nor in the synagogues, 

13 nor in the city. Neither can 
they prove to thee the things 
whereof they now accuse me. 

14 But this I confess unto thee, 
that after the Way which they 
call ^ a sect, so serve I the God 
of our fathers, believing all 
things which are according to 
the law, and which are written 

15 in the prophets: having hope 
toward God, which these also 
themselves ^ look for, that there 
shall be a resurrection both of 

16 the just and unjust. Herein 
do I also exercise myself to have 
a conscience void of offence 
toward God and men alway. 

17 Now after 3 many years I came 



^ Or, heresy. ^ Or, accept. 3 Or, some. 



country, can easily find out the truth of what Paul asserts, not only of the time since Paul 
went up to Jerusalem, but of the other things that follow. Ttvelve clays : These are 
reckoned as follows: first, the day of his arrival (21 : 17) ; second, the day of his interview 
with James (21 : 18) ; third, the day when he took the vow (21 : 26) ; fourth, fifth, sixth, and 
seventh, the days after the assumption of the vow, and before the attack on him; eighth, 
the day of his examination before the Sanhedrim (22 ; 30-23 : 10) ; ninth, the day on which 
the plot against him was formed, and of the night march to Antipatris (23: 12-31) ; and 
tenth to thirteenth, the days at Csesarea (24: i). The five days in this last passage are 
reckoned from Paul's departure from Jerusalem. To ivorshij): To take part in the 
feast of Pentecost. See 20: 16. 

12. Neither raising np the people ("or stirring up a crowd," Rev. Ver): This is 
an answer to the first charge made against him, that he was a disturber of the peace (verse 5) . 

13. Paul makes his own statement first, and then calls on them to prove theirs. 

14. After the tvay tvhich they call heresy (" which they call a sect," Rev. 
Ver.) : The word denotes a school of thought; any party advocating a set of principles in 
religion or philosophy (see Acts 5: 17; 15:5; 26:5; 28:22). Tertullus had used the word 
in an invidious sense, to denote a schismatic party, — a faction. So ivorshij) I the 
God of tuy fafJters ("the God of our fathers," Rev. Ver.): Paul wishes to identify 
himself with the ancestral, national worship, and so to repel the charge of being the leader 
of a schismatic party (see 24: 5, last clause). Which are written in the laiv and in 
the prophets (" which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets," 
Rev. Ver.): His position in this so-called sect does not prevent his acceptance of the 
religious law, or scriptures, of the nation in full. 

15. Which they themselves also allow ("which these also themselves look for," 
Rev. Ver.) : The thing looked for is this hope of the resurrection. He has the common 
hope, as well as the same God and the same law. Paul's allusion to his accusers here would 
indicate that now, at least, the temporary espousal of his cause by the Pharisees was at an 
end, and that those present were principally of this party. 

16. And herein : Herein do I also. Paul not only has this hope, but, because of it, 
he trains or exercises himself to have a good conscience. Since the resurrection is of the 
just and unjust, it contemplates a future state of rewards and punishments; and the apostle 
is moved by it, therefore, to a constant practice of righteousness. 

33 



Lesson X. 



PAUL BEFORE FELIX. 



Acts 24 : 10-27. 



17 Now after many years I came 
to bring alms to my nation, and 
offerings. 

iS Whereupon certain Jews from 
Asia found me purified in the tem- 
ple, neither with multitude, nor 
with tumult. 

19 Who ought to have been here 
before thee, and object, if they had 
aught against me. 

20 Or else let these same here 
say, if they have found any evil 
doing in me, while I stood before 
the council, 

21 Except it be for this one voice, 
that I cried standing among them. 
Touching the resurrection of the 
dead I am called in question by you 
this day. 

22 And when Felix heard these 
things, having more perfect knowl- 
edge of that way, he deferred them, 
and said, When Lysias the chief 
captam shall come down, I will 
know the uttermost of your matter. 



to bring alms to my nation, and 

18 offerings: ^amidst which they 
found me purified in the temple, 
with no crowd, nor yet with 
tumult : but there were certain 

19 Jews from Asia — who ought to 
have been here before thee, and 
to make accusation, if they had 

20 aught against me. Or else let 
these men themselves say what 
wrong-doing they found, when I 

21 stood before the council, except 
it be for this one voice, that I 
cried standing among them, 
Touching the resurrection of 
the dead I am called in question 
before you this day. 

22 But Felix, having more exact 
knowledge concerning the Way, 
deferred them, saying, W^hen 
Lysias the chief captain shall 
come down, I will determine 

23 your matter. And he gave order 
to the centurion that he should 
be kept in charge, and should 



^ Or, in presenting ivhicJi. 



17. After tnanif years: After several years. It was four years since Paul's last 
visit to Jerusalem. To brinr/ altns to my nation: Referring to the contributions 
which he collected from his Gentile churches for the church at Jerusalem. A.nd offer- 
ings : This refers to his own personal offerings in the temple, connected with his Nazarite 
vow. He speaks here as if this was included in the purpose of his coming, instead of 
merely its results. 

18. Whereupon (" amidst which," Rev. Ver ) : In the course of the offerings men- 
tioned Certai}i rleivs fro77i Asia found ine (" ihcy found me . . . with no crowd, 
nor yet with tumult: but there were certain Jews from Asia," Rev. Ver.): This last 
statement the apostle leaves unfinished, breaking it off abruptly. His idea is, " Well, they 
could tell you, if they were here, as they ought to be." IFurified in the temple: 
Not polluting it, therefore, as had been alleged. The reference is to the ceremonial purifi- 
cation accompanying his Nazarite vow. 

19. A.nd object (" and to make accusation," Rev. Ver.) : These Asiatic Jews were 
the ones who had stirred up the people against him, on the charge of polluting the temple, 
out of which the whole trouble had arisen; and, if the Sanhedrim had had any idea of 
judicial proceedings against him, they would have produced these witnesses. 

20. Or else let these same here say : The members of the Sanhedrim. They 
have made general charges, and Paul points out the witnesses who could prove any thing 
specific under these charges, if there was any thing in them. 

22. And when Felix heard these th iuf/s, Jtavinf/ tnore perfect knowledge 
of that ivay (" and Felix, having more perfect knowledge of the Way," Rev. Ver.) : 
That is, more perfect than the Sanhedrists had given in their representation. They had 
represented it as a turbulent, factious departure from the Jewish religion, seeking its over- 
throw. Felix, from his long residence, knew better: so he was not prepared to take their 
statements, and deferred the matter. At the same time, he was careful not to offend the 
Jews by releasing Paul. I will hnow the uttermost of your matter: I will 
investigate your matter. It is a word used in the New Testament, of a judicial investigation. 

34 



Lesson X. 



PAUL BEFORE FELIX. 



Acts 24: 10-27. 



23 And he commanded a centu- 
rion to keep Paul, and to let him 
have liberty, and that he should for- 
bid none of his acquaintance to 
minister or come unto him. 

24 And after certain days, when 
Felix came with his wife Drusilla, 
which was a Jewess, he sent for 
Paul, and heard him concerning the 
faith in Christ. 

25 And as he reasoned of right- 
eousness, temperance, and judgment 
to come, Felix trembled, and an- 
swered, Go thy way for'this time: 
when I have a convenient season, 
I will call for thee. 

26 He hoped also that money 
should have been given him of 
Paul, that he might loose him ; 
wherefore he sent for him the 
oftener, and communed with him. 

27 But after two years Porcius 
Festus came into Felix' room : and 
Felix, willing to show the Jews a 
pleasure, left Paul bound. 



have indulgence ; and not to for- 
bid any of his friends to minister 
unto him. 

24 But after certain days, Felix 
came with Drusilla, ^ his wife, 
which was a Jewess, and sent 
for Paul, and heard him con- 
cerning the faith in Christ 
Jesus. 

25 And as he reasoned of right- 
eousness, and ' temperance, and 
the judgement to come, Felix was 
terrified, and answered. Go thy 
way for this time ; and when I 
have a convenient season, I will 

26 call thee unto me. He hoped 
withal that money would be 
given him of Paul : wherefore 
also he sent for him the oftener, 

27 and communed with him. But 
when two years were fulfilled, 
Felix was succeeded by Porcius 
Festus ; and desiring to gain fa- 
vor with the Jews, Felix left 
Paul in bonds. 



Gr. his own -wife. 



23. And he cominanded a centurion (" the centurion," Rev. Ver.) : The one, 
that is, who had Paul in charge before this examination. To let him have liberty : 

Liberty is too strong a word to use here. The idea is, that the officer should relax some- 
what the rigor of his confinement. Or cotne nnto : Omit (Rev. Ver.). 

24. His tvife Drusilla : A daughter of Herod Agrippa I. (see 12: i sq.), and a 
sister of Herod Agrippa H. (see 25: 13). She had been betrothed to Antiochus Epiphanes, 
prince of Commagene; but, as he refused to be circumcised, she had married King Azizus 
of Emesa. But a short time after this marriage, Felix, being captivated by her beauty, 
persuaded her to desert her husband, and to live with him. This was really an adulterous 
connection, though she lived with him as his wife. Felix probably summoned Paul to this 
conference, in order to satisfy the curiosity of his wife about this leader of the new sect. 

25. Of righteotisness : Felix was a notoriously unjust ruler, according to the tes- 
timony of all writers, whose favor at court alone kept him in office. A7id teiuperance : 
Continence, or self-control, renders the word better. Here, again, Paul selected a subject 
to arouse the guilty conscience of his hearer; as Felix was a notorious profligate, and one 
of the partners of his guilt was sitting there with him. And jndijment to come (" the 
judgement to come," Rev. Ver.) : It was the "eat and drink, for to-morrow we die" doc- 
trine that made wicked men live at ease. Felix trembled (" was terrified," Rev. Ver.). 

26. TJiat he mif/ht loose him: Omit (Rev. Ver.). But of course, though this 
is not in the text, it is the object for which he expected the money to be given him. This 
bribery became common in the empire ; and Albinus, who succeeded Festus in the procura- 
torship of Judaea, made liberty a matter of purchase for all criminals. Felix very likely knew 
that Paul was poor, but calculated on the value to the Christian community of such a man. 

27. Porcius Festus came into Felix' room (" Felix was succeeded by Porcius 
Festus," Rev. Ver.). Willinff to shoiv the tfews a x^lfftsure ("desiring to gain 
favor with the Jews," Rev. Ver.) : He had been an unjust and harsh ruler, and the Jews 
could make trouble for him at court. This, in fact, they actually did; and he saved himself 
only through the intervention of Pallas his brother, the emperor's freedman. 

35 



Lesson XL 



PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA. 



Acts 26 : 1-18. 



LESSON XL 

PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA. — Acts 26: 1-18. 



A GENERAL VIE'W.—Aher Festus became procurator of Judsea, one of the 
first things that he did was to go up to Jerusalem, the real capital of the province, though 
Caesarea had become the residence of the Roman governor. While there, the Jews re- 
peated their attempt to have Paul brought up to Jerusalem for trial, intending to waylay 
and kill him; but Festus decided that he should be tried before himself at Caesarea, and 
that the Jews should appear before him there with their charges. After this trial, however, 
he made a proposition to Paul, that he should be tried at Jerusalem, by the Sanhedrim, in 
his presence; and Paul, fearing the result of this evident desire on the part of Festus to 
please the Jews, appealed to Caesar. Then, after some time, Agrippa, the king of the 
country lying east of Samaria, came with his sister Bernice, with whom he was living in 
an incestuous connection, to make a visit to Festus; and the procurator laid Paul's case 
before him for his advice. He represented to Agrippa the eagerness of the Jews to obtain 
judgment against Paul, and his own failure to find any charge against him of which the 
Roman law would take account. Then he told how Paul had appealed to Caesar, and the addi- 
tion that this made to his perplexity, as he had nothing certain to write to the emperor about 
the case. So it came about that Agrippa asked to hear from Paul himself what he had to say. 



1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, 
Thou art permitted to speak for 
thyself. Then Paul stretched forth 
the hand, and answered for himself : 

2 I think myself happy, king 
Agrippa, because I shall answer for 
myself this day before thee touch- 
ing all the things whereof I am ac- 
cused of the Jews : 

3 Especially, becattse I know thee 
to be expert in all customs and 
questions which are among the 
Jews : wherefore I beseech thee to 
hear me patiently. 

4 My manner of life from my 



1 And Agrippa said unto Paul, 
Thou art permitted to speak for 
thyself. Then Paul stretched 
forth his hand, and made his 
defence : 

2 I think myself happy, king 
Agrippa, that I am to make my 
defence before thee this day 
touching all the things whereof 

3 I am accused by the Jews : ^ es- 
pecially because thou art expert 
in all customs and questions 
which are among the Jews : 
wherefore I beseech thee to hear 

4 me patiently. My manner of 



Or, because thou art especially expert. 



NOTES. — I. jLfp'lpiyfi said tmto Paul: Of course Festus was the only one 
who had any authority in this matter; Agrippa took the lead merely as a matter of cour- 
tesy. A.nd ansivered for hhnself (" and made his defence," Rev. Ver.). 

2. Jiecaiise I sJiall ansu'cr for itii/svlf (" that I am to make my defence," Rev. 
Ver.). Ivhiff Agi-lppa : Herod Agrippa H. a great-grandson of Herod the Great, 
and son of the Herod mentioned in Acts 12. His youth prevented his accession to his 
father's place as the ruler of Palestine; but aftei-wards he was appointed, first to the little 
kingdom of Chalcis, near Antioch in Syria, and then to the tetrarchies of Batanea, Tracho- 
nitis, Auranitis, and part of Jamnia, lying east of Galilee on the other side of the Jordan, 
with the title of king. 

3. I'J.tpecialli/, because I Ji-now ihee to he expert ("because thou art expert," 
Rev. Ver.): Or, acquainted with; expert is a little too strong a word. A.nd qa,es~ 
tions : Those that divided the sects, such as Pharisees and Sadducees, from each other. 
Agrippa's knowledge of these things arose from the fact that the Herodian family had been 
for generations rulers of the Jews, and themselves were professed Jews. 

36 



Lesson XI. 



PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA. 



Acts 26: 1 -1 8. 



youth, which was at the first among 
mine own nation at Jerusalem, 
know all the Jews ; 

5 Which knew me from the be- 
ginning, if they would testify, that 
after the most straitest sect of our 
religion I lived a Pharisee. 

6 And now I stand and am 
judged for the hope of the promise 
made of God unto our fathers : 

7 Unto which projnise our twelve 
tribes, instantly serving God day 
and night, hope to come. For 
which hope's sake, king Agrippa, 
I am accused of the Jews. 

8 Why should it be thought a 
thing incredible with you, that God 
should raise the dead .'' 



life then from my youth up, 
which was from the beginning 
among mine own nation, and at 
Jerusalem, know all the Jews ; 

5 having knowledge of me from 
the first, if they be willing to 
testify, how that after the strait- 
est sect of our religion I lived a 

6 Pharisee. And now I stand 
here to be judged for the hope 
of the promise made of God 

7 unto our fathers ; unto -which 
promise our twelve tribes, ear- 
nestly serving God night and 
day, hope to attain. And con- 
cerning this hope I am accused 

8 by the Jews, O king! Why is 
it judged incredible with you, if 



4. WJtich teas at f//e /rrsf (" from the beginning," Rev. Ver.). At iJernsaleni 
(" and at Jerusalem," Rev. Ver.) : This is added as a more specific designation of the 
place where he had passed his life. It had been not only among the Jews, but in their 
capital city; so that the statements that he makes can be amply proved. Knotv all the 
fTews : His life had been an active and public life, so that he was a well-known character. 

5. Which hneiv ine from the begiii}ii)if/ : Having previous knowledge of me 
from the beginning. Their knowledge of him had not begun, as might be supposed, with 
these events, but dated back to the time when he was a zealous and noted Pharisee. After 
the straitest sect of our religion: The strictest, most precise sect (see the descrip- 
tion of the Pharisees in Lesson VHI.) . They were noted for their zeal and punctiliousness 
in the observance of every thing relating to the forms of religion. The word for religion 
denotes the worship of God. If they would test! ft/ : If they are willing to testify. 
Paul doubts their willingness, because this fact strengthens his witness to Christianity. 
This is the first point in Paul's defence. The charge was, that he created dissensions 
among the Jews, and disregarded and defiled their sacred things. Paul's first statement 
in reply is, that he was from the beginning a strict Jew, as all his accusers could testify. 

6. And now : Emphatic. There is no real break in his life. He had been a precise 
Jew; and now it is for nothing anti- Jewish that he is called to account, but for entertaining 
the national hope. The promise is evidently the Messianic promise, not that of the resur- 
rection; since Paul would scarcely claim, in regard to that, that it was made by God unto 
the fathers, nor that it was looked for by all the nation. 

7. Our tivelve tribes : Only two tribes, as such, returned from the captivity. But, 
then, not all of any of the tribes went into captivity; and every Jew considered himself 
as not only a member of his own tribe, but of the nation of the twelve tribes. Instantly 
serving ("earnestly," Rev. Ver.). Hope to come ("hope to attain," Rev. Ver.): 
Here was the difference between the nation at large and Paul. They were still expecting: 
he saw the promise already fulfilled. For tvJiicJi hojfe's sake: Concerning which 
hope. The Revised Version puts an exclamation mark after this statement; and probably 
Paul meant to note it as a surprising thing, that he should be accused on that ground. 
This, then, is the second point in Paul's reply, — that, so far from being an opposer of the 
Jews' religion, the accusation against him was, that he shared the national hope and 
expectation. 

8. Why should it he thouffht a thing incredible iritli you, that God 
should raise the dead? ("Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth 
raise the dead?" Rev. Ver.) The connection of this with the preceding is this: Paul 
recognized the fact, that, in Agrippa's mind, what he has said about the general Messianic 

37 



Lesson XT. 



PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA. 



Acts 26 : 1-18. 



9 I verily thought with myself, 
that I ought to do many things con- 
trary to the name of Jesus of Naza- 
reth. 

ID Which thing I also did in Je- 
rusalem : and many of the saints 
did I shut up in prison, having 
received authority from the chief 
priests ; and when they were put to 
death, I gave my voice against them. 

11 And I punished them oft in 
every synagogue, and compelled 
Them to blaspheme; and being ex- 
ceedingly mad against them, I per- 
secuted them even unto strange 
cities. 

12 Whereupon as I went to Da- 
mascus with authority and commis- 
sion from the chief priests, 

13 At midday, O king, I saw in 
the way a light from heaven, above 
the brightness of the sun, shining 
round about me and them which 
journeyed with me. 



9 God doth raise the dead } I 
verily thought with myself, that 
I ought to do many things con- 
trary to the name of Jesus of 

10 Nazareth. And this I also did 
in Jerusalem : and I both shut 
up many of the saints in prisons, 
having received authority from 
the chief priests, and when they 
were put to death, I gave my 

11 vote against them. And pun- 
ishing them oftentimes in all the 
synagogues, I strove to make 
them blaspheme; and being ex- 
ceedingly mad against them, I 
persecuted them even unto for- 

12 eign cities. ^ Whereupon as I 
journeyed to Damascus with the 
authority and commission of the 

13 chief priests, at midday, O king, 
I saw on the way a light from 
heaven, above the brightness of 
the sun, shining round about me 
and them that journe\ed with 



Or, On which errand. 



hope would instantly connect itself with Paul's specific belief in Jesus as the ?ilessiah: and 
that the transition from this to the fact of the resurrection of Jesus, which Paul preached 
as the great proof of the Messianic claim of Jesus, would be easy. His mind, therefore, 
jumps the intermediate steps, and comes immediately to this. With you : Paul addresses 
himself here to the Jewish nation represented in Agriopa, the Jewish king. He is speak- 
ing here of the actual unbelief of the Jews m the resurrection of Jesus. The general fact 
of the resurrection, to which this specific event belonged, was not disbelieved by most of 
them; and yet they refused to believe particular cases under it. 

9. I verily thoiiyht icitli myself: For this reason 1 thought with myself; i.e., 
on account of this unbelief of which he has spoken. Paul shows here how he was once a 
victim of the same unbelief, and how he was brought to a better mind, rlesas of Xosa^ 
reth: This was the name of contempt that the Jews applied to Jesus (see John i: 46). 
Paul is speaking here from the stand-point of Saul of Tarsus. 

ID. Hariiif/ received authority from the chief priests : In 9: 2, it is said 
that Paul had his authority from the high priests; and in 22: 5, from the eldership. They 
are all only different modes of designating the Sanhedrim, according to the different bodies 
composing it. I fjfive tny voice against them: Literally, my vote; and some 
have inferred from this that Paul was a member of the Sanhedrim. But there are good 
examples of the figurative use of the words, in the sense o{ to give an opinion; and Paul's 
age, and probably, also, his being an unmarried man, would have been a bar to his 
membership. 

II. And I 2>*ttiisJied them, . . . and compelled them to blaspheme 
(" And punishing them, ... I strove to make them blaspheme," Rev. Ver.) : He sought 
by punishment and torture to extract from them a denial of the Lord. This was done in the 
synagogues, as being the local tribunals (see Matt. 10: 17; 23: 34). Exceedinyly 
mad : In the sense of furious, raving; a very strong expression of his uncontrollable 
rage. Sfranye cities : Outside of Palestine. (" Foreign cities," Rev. Ver.) 

13. At 'nidday . . . ahore the fnif//it)iess of the sun: The two combined 
make adoz-e the brightness 0/ the midday sjcfi, 

38 



Lesson XI. 



PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA. 



Acts 26: 1-18. 



14 And when we were all fallen 
to the earth, I heard a voice speak- 
ing unto me, and sa3ing in the 
Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why 
persecutest thou me ? it is hard 
for thee to kick against the pricks. 

15 And I said, Who art thou, 
Lord? And he said, I am Jesus 
whom thou persecutest. 

16 But rise, and stand upon thy 
feet : for I have appeared unto thee 
for this purpose, to make thee a 
minister and a witness both of these 
things which thou hast seen, and of 
those things in the which I will 
appear unto thee ; 

17 Delivering thee from the peo- 
ple, and from the Gentiles, unto 
whom now I send thee, 

18 To open their eyes, and to 
turn them from darkness to light, 
2iX\d from the power of Satan unlo 
God, that they may receive forgive- 
ness of sins, and inheritance among 
them which are sanctified by faith 
that is in me. 



14 me. And when we were all 
fallen to the earth, I heard a 
voice saying unto me in the He- 
brew language, Saul, Saul, why 
persecutest thou me ? it is hard 
for thee to kick against ^ the 

15 goad. And I said. Who art 
thou, Lord 1 And the Lord 
said, I am Jesus whom thou 

16 persecutest. But arise, and 
stand upon thy feet : for to this 
end have I appeared unto thee, 
to appoint thee a minister and 
a witness both of the things 
^wherein thou hast seen me, 
and of the things wherein I will 

17 appear unto thee; delivering 
thee from the people, and from 
the Gentiles, unto whom I send 

18 thee, to open their eyes, ^that 
they may turn from darkness to 
light, and from the power of 
Satan unto God, that they may 
receive remission of sins and an 
inheritance among them that are 
sanctified by faith in me. 



^ Gr. goads. 2 Many ancient authorities read which thou hast seen. 

them. 



3 Or, to turn 



14. When toe were all fallen to the earth: In chapter 9: 7 it is said that 
those journeying with him " stood speechless." It is an unimportant difference in any 
case ; and possibly the statement in chapter 9 means only that they were rooted to the spot, 
and does not preclude the statement that they fell to the ground. In the H' bretv 
tongue : Strictly speaking, Hebrew was not spoken at this time, being a dead language, 
but Aramaic. It is hard for thee to kick against the 2>ricks : Against the 
goads. The person who held the one handle of the plough in one hand carried in the 
other a long goad, with which be urged the oxen. A refractory beast kicking against this 
punishment would only drive the sharp iron tip of the goad deeper in. The idea is, that 
Paul is resisting the inevitable, and will find it hard work; simply procuring punishment 
for himself. 

16. In the account given in chapters 9 and 22, these instructions are given to Paul by 
Ananias, and not by Jesus, who simply directs Paul to go into the city, where he will be 
told what to do. This is a condensed account. 

17. From the people, and from the Gentiles: The people is the Jewish 
people. 

18. To open their eyes, and to ttirn them from darkness {" that they may 
turn," Rev. Ver.) : It denotes the object of opening their eyes. InJieritance among 
them which are sanctified (see 20: 32; Eph. i: 18). Sy faith that is in me: 
Omit that is (Rev. Ver.). Probably these words limit the verb receive, as faith is gen- 
erally made the means of obtaining these things; but, as their reception of them is also 
made here to depend on their turning from Satan unto God, it shows what the faith is which 
procures forgiveness, and what it must first do for the man. The third point in the apos- 
tle's defence is, that his present position is not only a Jewish position, but that the differ- 
ence between him and other Jews is due to divine revelation. 

39 



Lesson XII. PAUL VINDICATED. ^r/j 26 : 19-32. 

LESSON XII. 

PAUL VINDICATED.— Acts 26:19-32. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — Paul continues his discourse by showing that what he 
had done, since his conversion, was due to the revelation made to him, and, further, by the 
statement that the things which he preached were contained in the Jewish Scriptures. 
Then, being interrupted by Festus, he appeals to Agrippa for the truth of his statements, 
and even begins a more personal appeal to him, which Agrippa turns aside with a sarcasm. 
This appeal is due to the fact that Agrippa was a professed Jew, and therefore supposed to 
be acquainted with the facts of Christ's work, and with the prophetic writings to which Paul 
refers. 

19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, j 19 Wherefore, O king Agrippa, 
I was not disobedient unto the j I was not disobedient unto the 
heavenly vision : i 20 heavenly vision : but declared 

20 But showed first unto them of ! both to them of Damascus first, 
Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and' and at Jerusalem, and throughout 



throughout all the coasts of Judsea, 
and then to the Gentiles, that they 
should repent and turn to God, and 
do works meet for repentance. 
21 For these causes the Jews 



all the country of Judaea, and also 
to the Gentiles, that they should 
repent and turn to God, doing 
works worthy of ^ repentance. 
For this cause the fews seized 



caught me in the temple, and went i me in the temple, and assayed to 
about to kill me. I 22 kill me. Having therefore ob- 

22 Having therefore obtained tained the help that is from God, 

help of God, I continue unto this } I stand unto this day testifying 
day, witnessing both to small and i both to small and great, saying 



great, saying none other things than 
those which the prophets and Moses 
did say should come : 



nothing but what the prophets 
and Moses did say should come ; 
23 ^how that the Christ ^must suf- 



^ Or, their repentance. ^ Or, if. Or, ivhether. 3 Or, is subject to suffering. 

NOTES. —ig. Whereupon ("wherefore," Rev. Ver.). 

20. Showed ("declared," Rev. Ver.): Strictly it ms:zx\s,, I brought the message. 
Coasts ("country," Rev. Ver.). A.n(l do ("doing," Rev. Ver.), Mepetit — repent- 
ance : These words do not mean, in the original, sorroiufor sin, as the English words do. 
That is only implied, as a part of the idea. The meaning of the word is, a change of 
mind. There are three things contained in it. First, the change which Christianity de- 
mands is in view of the fact that man is a sinner. It requires, therefore, a change from sin 
to righteousness. Secondly, this change, as denoted by the word, is primarily an inward 
change of the sentiments and affections. And, thirdly, it is a change effected by the new 
truth, the changed view of things that Christianity brings to men. The word is, in a way, 
an epitome of Christianity. Worhs meet for repentance ("worthy of repentance," 
Rev. Ver.) : Worthy of this complete and radical change. 

21. For these causes : Emphatic. This is the reason, he says, of my persecution. 
After exhibiting the lofty and pure spiritual doccrine that he was commissioned to preach, 
and did preach, he says, " It was for this that I was persecuted." 

22. Havitiff therefore obtained lieli) of God : This help from God is an in- 
ference from the preceding statement in regard to his persecution, as without this help il 
would have been impossible to " continue unto this day." Witnessing both to small 
and great: Not fearing to address the one, and not despising to address the others. 
Saying none otJier things than those which the j^'ophets and Moses : Thii 

40 



Lesson XII. 



PAUL VINDICATED. 



Acts 26 ; 



19-32. 



23 That Christ should suffer, and 
that he should be the first that 
should rise from the dead, and 
should shew light unto the people, 
and to the Gentiles. 

24 And as he thus spake for him- 
self, Festus said with a loud voice, 
Paul, thou art beside thyself ; much 
learning doth make thee mad. 

25 But he said, I am not mad, 
most noble Festus ; but speak forth 
the words of truth and soberness. 

26 For the king knoweth of these 
things, before whom also I speak 
freely : for I am persuaded that none 
of these things are hidden from him ; 
for this thing was not done in a 



fer, and " how that he first by the 
resurrection of the dead should 
proclaim light both to the people 
and to the Gentiles. 

24 And as he thus made his de- 
fence, Festus saith with a loud 
voice, Paul, thou art mad ; thy 
much learning doth turn thee to 

25 madness. But Paul saith, I am 
not mad, most excellent Festus ; 
but speak forth words of truth 

26 and soberness. For the king 
knoweth of these things, unto 
whom also I speak freely : for I 
am persuaded that none of these 
things is hidden from him ; for 
this hath not been done in a cor- 

27 ner. King Agrippa, believest 



I Or, if. Or, whether. 



makes another point in his defence, — that he taught, in his preaching, only what the 
prophetic Scriptures warranted. 

23. That Christ shovld suffer, and that, etc.: If the Messiah is Uable to suf- 
fering; if he, as first to rise from the dead, is to proclaim light both to the people and to the 
Gentiles. That is, what Paul said was in the nature of a discussion of these questions, in 
which, however, he confined himself to what the Scriptures said. The first question so 
discussed was, whether the Messiah is liable to suffering; i.e., whether the Scriptures pre- 
dict such suffering, and describe his work in such away as to involve suffering. The second 
was, whether the Messiah, by virtue of his being the first-fruits of the resurrection, should 
proclaim light to the people and the Gentiles. The emphasis comes on the question 
whether the credentials of his position and work were to be the resurrection, or something 
belonging to the Jewish notion of a temporal Messiah. And a secondary part of the ques- 
tion is the inclusion of the Gentiles in that work. 

24. Spake for himself ("made his defence," Rev. Ver.). Thou art beside 
thyself; much learning doth maJce thee mad (" Thou art mad ; thy much learning 
doth turn thee to madness," Rev. Ver.) : The cause of Felix's interruption was probably the 
mention of the resurrection for the second time. The attitude of cultivated Gentiles, at this 
time, towards the supernatural was decidedly sceptical ; and this matter of the resurrection 
excited their special ridicule. The lo?id voice was probably due to his impatience in listen- 
ing to the whole tissue of rhapsodies and dreams, of which it seemed to him Paul's defence 
had consisted; and, when this culminated in the statement about the resurrection, his im- 
patience burst forth. His attributing Paul's madness to his learning was not occasioned, 
probably, by the learned quality of his speech, but by what he had heard of Paul's reputa- 
tion for learning. 

25. Most noble Festus : This was a form used in addressing persons of rank. 
TJie words of truth and soberness: Omit the article (Rev. Ver.). The soberness 
is opposed directly to the madness of verse 24. The trtith of his words is just as much 
opposed to it, but not so directly. 

26. For the hiny Unoweth of these things : That is, of the death and resurrec- 
tion of Christ. Tiefore tvhom also I speaJc freely : That is, without any reserve, 
as if he feared to be convicted of error or exaggeration in his statements. For tJiis 
tiling was not done in a corner : The facts in regard to Christ's life, while they 
attracted little attention outside of Palestine, were matters of general notoriety among the 
Jews. 

41 



Ltsson XII. 



PAUL VINDICATED. 



Acts 26: 19-3: 



27 King Agrippa, believest thou 
the prophets ? I know that thou be- 
lievest. 

28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, 
Almost thou persuadest me to be a 
Christian. 

29 And Paul said, I would to God, 
that not only thou, but also all that 
hear me this day, were both almost, 
and altogether such as I am, except 
these bonds. 

30 And when he had thus spoken, 
the king rose up, and the governor, 
and Bernice, and they that sat with 
them : 

31 And when they were gone 
aside, they talked between them- 
selves, saying. This man doeth noth- 
ing worthy of death or of bonds. 

32 Then said Agrippa unto 
Festus, This man might have been 
set at liberty, if he had not appealed 
unto Caesar. 



thou the prophets .-^ I know that 

28 thou believest. And Agrippa 
said unto Paul, With but little 
persuasion thou vvouldest fain 

29 make me a Christian. And Paul 
said, I would to God, that wheth- 
er with little or with much, not 
thou only, but also all that hear 
me this day, might become such 
as I am, except these bonds. 

30 And the king rose up, and the 
governor, and Bernice, and they 

31 that sat with them : and when 
they had withdrawn, they spake 
one to another, saying. This man 
doeth nothing worthy of death or 

32 of bonds. And Agrippa said 
unto Festus, This man might 
have been set at liberty, if he had 
not appealed unto Cssar. 



27. King Agrij^pn, believest thou the prophets ? Paul appeals to Agrippa, not 
only for the truth of what he says about the facts of Christ's life, but also for the correctness 
of his citation of the prophets. But, in regard to both of these, he does not expect the king 
to confirm absolutely the truth of his statement, but only to testify that a man might easily 
believe as Paul did, and still be in his sober senses. The second of these appeals he puts 
in the form of a question, as he wishes to press the truth of Christianity on him personally. 

28. Almost tliott peysiiadest me to he a Christian : With little trouble thou 
persuadest. Agrippa sees Paul's purpose, and turns it aside with a piece of irony. 

29. Both almost and altogether ("Whether with little or with much," Rev. 
Ver.): We have the same expression here that is translated abizost in verse 28; and, 
while it was quite impossible to render it so there, it is doubly so in this verse. Except 
these bonds: Paul was not attended, probably, by the soldier who guarded him; but 
apparently he wore the chain still fastened to his wrist. 

30. Wlien he had thus spohen : Omit (Rev. Ver.). The governoi' : See note 
on 23; 24, Lesson IX. Hernice : The daughter of Herod Agrippa I., and sister of this 
Agrippa. She had been married to her uncle, the king of Chalcis; but after his death she 
came to live with her brother, with whom, probably, she formed an incestuous connection. 
This was interrupted, but only for a short time, by a second marriage with Polemon, king 
of Cilicia. She afterwards became the mistress of the Emperor Vespasian, and of his son 
Titus. This sudden closing of the conference was due, probably, to the personal character 
that Paul had given to it. They were willing to listen to his defence, but no further. 

31. Tliis man doeth nothing tcorthy of death or of bonds: They saw that 
his offence was not such as made him amenable to Roman law; and, moreover, he must 
have made on them the impression of an innocent and genuine kind of man. 

32. If he had not appealed unto Ca;sar : This was something from which he 
could not draw back. It made it necessary that he should go to Rome. 

42 



SECOND QUARTER. 



LESSON I. 

PAUL'S VOYAGE. — Acts 27:1, 2, 14-26. 



A GENERAL VIEW. 



This voyage of Paul, of which we study a part in this lesson, is interesting, because it 
gives a fine impression of Paul's character, on the one hand, and because the minuteness 
of the account, and the nautical terms employed, give an excellent opportunity to test its 
correctness. The voyage was to be from Caesarea to Italy; and for this purpose, as no 
ship was to be found going there directly, they embarked in a vessel belonging to Adra- 
myttium in Asia Minor, and sailed for the coast of Asia, expecting to find at some of the 
ports at which they touched a vessel bound for Italy, This vessel went along the Syrian 
coast as far as Sidon, and then put out to sea; but, as the wind was blowing from the west, 
they sailed to the north of Cyprus, instead of the south, which was the direct route from 
Palestine to Asia Minor. Then sailing along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, they 
came to Myra in Lycia. Here they found a vessel of Alexandria, bound for Italy. Em- 
barking in this, they worked along the coast to Cnidus, north-west of the Island of Rhodes, 
at a slow pace, against adverse winds. From here their natural course would have been 
westerly; but the north-west wind drove them south to the island of Crete at its eastern 
end, and again prevented their making any port on its northern side, so that they were 
obliged to put in at Fair Havens, near the point at which the southern shore of the island 
bends slightly to the north. This bend brought them directly in face of the north-west 
wind again; and the continuance of it made so long a delay necessary, that the time of 
safe navigation, which closed in October, passed while they were there, and Paul tried to 
dissuade them from proceeding farther. But, as Fair Havens was not a good place to 
winter in, they tried to make Phcenix, forty miles to the west. The south wind, for which 
they were waiting, finally came; and they started. Here is where our lesson begins. 
The standard account of this voyage is Smith's " Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul." 

43 



Lesson I. 



PAUL'S VOYAGE. 



Acts 27 



14-26. 



1 And when it was determined 
that we should sail into Italy, they 
delivered Paul and certain other 
prisoners unto 07ie named Julius, a 
centurion of Augustus' band. 

2 And entering into a ship of 
Adramyttium, we launched, meaning 
to sail by the -coasts of Asia; one 
Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thes- 
salonica, being with us. 

14 But not long after there arose 
against it a tempestuous wind, called 
Euroclydon. 

1 5 And when the ship was caught, 
and could not bear up into the wind, 
we let hei' drive. 

16 And running under a certain 
island which is called Clauda, we 
had much work to come by the 
boat: 



1 And when it was determined 
that we should sail for Italy, they 
delivered Paul and certain other 
prisoners to a centurion named 
Julius, of the Augustan ^ band. 

2 And embarking in a ship of 
Adramyttium, which was about 
to sail unto the places on the 
coast of Asia, we put to sea, 
Aristarchus, a Macedonian of 
Thessalonica, being with us. 

14 But after no long time there 
beat down from it a tempestu- 
ous wind, which is called Eura- 

15 quilo : and when the ship was 
caught, and could not face the 
wind, we gave way to it, and 

16 were driven. And running under 
the lee of a small island called 
' Cauda, we were able, with 



Or, cohort. 2 Many ancient authorities read Claiida. 



NOTES. — I. They delivered I'aul : Those who acted under Festus' order in 
this matter. A^nd certain otJier 2>visoners : It was not a very uncommon thing to 
have prisoners sent to Rome for trial. A. cenUtrion of JLtigiistiis' band ("of the 
Augustan band," Rev. Ver.) : The marginal translation cohort is stricter (see on 21: 31, 
Lesson VI.). The probable explanation of the term Ajigiistaii is, that this cohort formed 
the procurator's body-guard, and so corresponded to the emperor's body-guard, and took 
its name. 

2. Entering into ("embarking in," Rev. Ver.). Adramyttium : A town on 
the coast of Mysia, the most northern of the three districts forming Asia ISIinor. We 
launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia ("which was about to sail unto 
the places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea," Rev. Ver.). One Aristarchus : Omit 
the One (Rev. Ver.). This is the Aristarchus mentioned in 19:29; 20:4. He is men- 
tioned in two of the epistles written from Rome (see Philem 24; Col. 4: 10). 

14. There arose against it ("there beat down from it," Rev. Ver.): That is, 
from the island of Crete. Against it would have to be referred to the vessel, which has 
not been mentioned lately; and the word for "which" in the Greek, to which it would have 
to refer, has not been used at all. A tempestuoits wind : In the original, a typhoonic 
wind, — one in which the opposing currents cause the whirling of the clouds. Eurocly- 
don (" Euraquilo," Rev. Ver.): The word Euroclydon is of doubtful meaning; but 
Euraquilo denotes a north-east wind, which is the wind that would drive them to the island 
of Clauda, directly south of Crete. 

15. And when tJie ship tras caitght : And the ship being caught, and not being 
able to face the wind. These are participial clauses, and denote the reason of their letting 
the vessel drive, and not simply the time of it. We let her drive (" we gave way to it, 
and were driven," Rev. Ver.). 

16. And running 'tinder ("under the lee of," Rev. Ver.) : The term implies two 
things: first, that they went before the wind; and, secondly, that they went under the lee 
of the island, i.e., as the wind was north-east, on the south side of it. The name of the 
island was Claudos or Gaudos (the Cauda of the Revised Version), and it lay a few miles 
only south of Crete. We Jtad much irorh to come by the boat ("we were able, 
with difficulty, to secure the boat," Rev. Ver.) : The boat had been towed astern; and it 
became necessary to secure it, in case of disaster to the vessel. This was impossible, until 
they had gained the comparative quiet of the lee shore ; and even then it was secured with 
difficulty. 44 



Lessojt I. 



PAUL'S VOYAGE. 



Acts 27 : 1, 2, 14-26. 



17 Which when they had taken 
up, they used helps, undergirding 
the ship ; and, fearing lest they 
should fall into the quicksands', 
strake sail, and so were driven. 

18 And we being exceedingly 
tossed with a tempest, the next day 
they lightened the ship. 

19 And the third day we cast out 
with our own hands the tackling of 
the ship. 

20 And when neither sun nor 
stars in many days appeared, and 
no small tempest lay on zcs, all hope 
that we should be saved was then 
taken away. 

21 But after long abstinence Paul 
stood forth in the midst of them, 
and said. Sirs, ye should have heark- 
ened unto me, and not have loosed 



17 difificulty, to secure the boat : and 
when they had hoisted it up, they 
used helps, undergirding the 
ship ; and, fearing lest they 
should be cast upon the Syrtis, 
they lowered the gear, and so 

18 v/ere driven. And as we labored 
exceedingly with the storm, the 
next day they began to throw 

19 t/ie freight overboard ; and the 
third day they cast out with their 
own hands the ^tackling of the 

20 ship. And when neither sun nor 
stars shone upon zis for many 
days, and no small tempest lay 
on zis, all hope that we should 
be saved was now taken away. 

21 And when they had been long 
without food, then Paul stood 
forth in the midst of them, and 



Ox, fiirnitTi7'-e. 



17. TUey used Jielj)s, uuderf/irfUiifj the ship: These helps, the purpose of 
which is described in the next clause, were cables passed under the vessel, and fastened 
over the deck, to help hold it together against the severe strain of a storm. They are rarely 
used now, but were common then. The qnicl^saiuls (" the Syrtis," Rev. Ver.) : These 
were two gulfs on the African coast, noted for their frequent and dangerous quicksands, or 
shoals. One of these was the Syrtis Major, between Cyrene and Leptis; and the other, 
the Syrtis Minor, near Carthage. The Syrtis Minor is too far west, and it is therefore the 
Syrtis Major that is meant. St mice sail (" lowered the gear," Rev. Ver.) : There are 
two possible interpretations of this language. The first is, that they lowered the mainsail, 
and allowed the ship to drive before the wind. This best suits the language, and it partly 
relieves the difficulty; since, while the direction of the vessel would remain unchanged, 
and she would still drive toward the Syrtis, it would be with greatly lessened speed. But 
it leaves unaccounted for the fact that the vessel finally brought up at Malta, which lies a 
litde north of west from its present position south of Crete. With nothing but a north- 
east wind to guide it, it must have gone south-west. The other explanation is, that they 
lowered the topsail, or the top-gear, keeping the mainsail set. Then, by keeping the head 
of the vessel as close to the wind as possible, and adjusting the sail, she is laid-to, and will 
drift very slowly. A vessel laid-to in this way on the starboard tack would drift, under the 
conditions named here, in the direction of ISIalta, and so as to reach there in the neighbor- 
hood of fourteen days. 

18. They lifflitened the ship ("they began to throw the freight overboard," Rev. 
Ver.) : The chief difficulty obviated by this was the danger that the ship would go to 
pieces. Vessels were not built so as to resist a gale like the one described here; and, of 
course, the ship's lading would increase the strain. 

19. We cast out . . . the tacJ^Jiuf/ of the ship (" they cast out," Rev. Ver.): 
The word which is translated tackling- here more probably means furniture, — such as 
beds, tables, cooking utensils, chests, and the like. Their doing this wzth their owfi 
hands increases the vividness of the description of danger. 

^ 20. In many days nppea/red (" shone upon us for many days," Rev. Ver.) : This 
disappearance of the sun and stars, as they were out of sight of land, took away their only 
means of reckoning their position. 

21. A^ftev long abstinence ("when they had been long without food," Rev. Ver.) : 
This was owing partly to dejection, partly to their constant employment, and partly to the 

45 



Lesson II. 



PAUL'S SHIPWRECK. 



Acts 27 : 27-44. 



from Crete, and to have gained this 
harm and loss. 

22 And now I exhort 3*0 u to be 
of good cheer : for there shall be no 
loss of any mail's life among you, 
but of the ship. 

23 For there stood by me this 
night the angel of God, whose I am, 
and whom I serve, 

24 Saying, Fear not, Paul ; thou 
must be brought before Caesar : and, 
lo, God hath given thee all them 
that sail with thee. 

25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good 
cheer : for I believe God, that it 
shall be even as it was told me. 

26 Howbeit we must be cast upon 
a certain island. 



said. Sirs, ye should have heark- 
ened unto me, and not have set 
sail from Crete, and have gotten 

22 this injury and loss. And now 
I exhort you to be of good cheer : 
for there shall be no loss of life 
among you, but only of the ship. 

23 F'or there stood by me this night 
an angel of the God whose I am, 

24 whom also I serve, saying, Fear 
not, Paul ; thou must stand 
before Ceesar: and lo, God hath 
granted thee all them that sail 

25 with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be 
of good cheer : for I believe 
God, that it shall be even so as 
it hath been spoken unto me. 

26 Howbeit we must be cast upon 
a certain island. 



difficulty of preparing food. Of them : The ship's people, — officers and crew. Ye 
sJionlcl have hearliened nnto me. (See verses 9-11.) ^nd to have gained 
this harm and loss : And have gotten this violence and loss. The first noun denotes 
the violence, the insolence, of the storm; and the second, the loss inflicted by it. Paul does 
not say this for the sake of reproaching them, but to give weight to what he says now. 

22. There shall he no loss of life : Before, he had said, that there would be much 
loss of life, as well as of the lading and ship; but that was only his opinion, and not, 
therefore, infallible, while this is a revelation. 

23. The angel of God : A messenger of the God. Paul is addressing Gentiles, and 
the language is probably adapted to their idea of things. 

24. Fear not, Paul ; thou tmist be brought before Ca?sar (" thou must stand 
before Csesar," Rev. Ver.): The 7):icst here rests on the divine purpose, and this cer- 
tainty removes the present danger. God hath given thee all them that sail tvith 
thee : That is, he has spared them for your sake. 

25. -Be of good cheer : The mention of fasting in connection with this exhortation, 
in verses 21, 22, shows that Paul wished not only to cheer them up, but to encourage them 
to take food. 

26. We must be cast upon a certain island : This was apparently a part of 
the revelation. 



LESSON II. 



PAUL'S SHIPWRECK. —Acts 27 : 27-44. 

A GENERAL yj57W. — There are various examples, in this account of Paul's 
voyage and shipwreck, of his influence over men, and of the impression that he made on 
them as a man possessed of judgment, and force of character. The favor granted him at 
Sidon (verse 3) shows that he had already impressed the centurion in charge of the prison- 
ers favorably. The fact that he was heard, though his advice was not taken, in regard to 
the sailing of the vessel from Fair Havens, points in the same direction (verses 9-11). We 
are not told what effect his rehearsal of his vision, assuring them of safety, had upon the 
ship's company; but there is an admirable self-possession about it. Then, when the last 
night came, and the sailors, frightened at the leaky condition of the vessel and the nearness 

46 



Lesson II. 



PAUL'S SHIPWRECK. 



Acts 27 : 27-44. 



27 But when the fourteenth night 
was come, as we were driven up and 
down in Adria, about midnight the 
shipmen deemed that they drew 
near to some country; 

28 And sounded, and found it 
twenty fathoms : and when they 
had gone a little further, they 
sounded again, and found it fifteen 
fathoms. 

29 Then fearing lest we should 
have fallen upon rocks, they cast 
four anchors out of the stern, and 
wished for the day. 

30 And as the shipmen were 
about to flee out of the ship, when 
they had let down the boat into the 
sea, under color as though they 
would have cast anchors out of the 
foreship. 



27 But when the fourteenth night 
was come, as we were driven to 
and fro in the sea <?/" Adria, about 
midnight the sailors surmised 
that they were drawing near to 

28 some country; and they sounded, 
and found twenty fathoms : and 
after a little space, they sounded 
again, and found fifteen fathoms. 

29 And fearing lest haply we should 
be cast ashore on rocky ground, 
they let go four anchors from 
the stern, and ^ wished for the 

30 day. And as the sailors were 
seeking to flee out of the ship, 
and had lowered the boat into 
the sea, under color as though 
they would lay out anchors from 

31 the foreship, Paul said to the 
centurion and to the soldiers, 



^ Or, prayed. 



of the breakers, were about to desert the ship, and betake themselves to the boat, Paul 
thwarts their plan; and this time, whatever may have been the effect before, Paul suc- 
ceeded in gaining such an ascendancy over the panic-stricken company as to persuade them 
to take food, and cheer up. And, finally, the centurion's regard for Paul was the means of 
saving all the prisoners' lives, when the soldiers, afraid of their escaping in the confusion, 
proposed to kill them. When we reflect that Paul was a prisoner, a despised Jew, and a 
Christian withal, this indicates a rare personal quality. 

NOTES. — 27. TJie fourteentli nUjlit : From Fair Havens. Driven up and 
do-wn : As we have seen, there was probably a comparatively steady wind, and a cor- 
respondingly steady drift; but this is not inconsistent with the tossing to and fro that is 
described here. Tn A^drin : The Adriatic Sea. Strictly speaking, this term applied 
only to the sea east of the northern part of Italy, the leg of the boot; that east of the foot, 
or southern part, being known as the Ionian Sea: but the term was frequently used of the 
sea as far south as Sicily. That they dretv near to some country : Literally, that 
some land was approaching them, — a Ji'dive transfer to Luke's account of the appearance 
aboard ship as one approaches land. They would judge this from the sound of the breakers. 

28. Twenty ffitliotns . . . fifteen fathoms : This rapid shoaling of the water 
confirmed their surmise. 

29. Then fearing lest we sJiould have fallen upon rocJ:s : And fearing 
lest we might, perchance, fall on rocky ground. This fear was well grounded in this case, 
as the fifteen-fathom sounding is only about a quarter of a mile from a rocky, precipitous 
shore. Tliey east four anchors ont of the stem : They anchored from the stern, 
instead of the bow, to prevent the vessel's swinging round, which might bring her on the 
rocks ; and because it would leave her all ready, with her head pointed in the direction that 
they wanted to go. It is mentioned here as being unusual. And tvished for day : 
They were surrounded by unknown dangers, on an evidently perilous coast; it was uncer- 
tain how long the anchors would hold, and doubtful whether the already strained and leak- 
ing ship could last through the night. When day came, they would know where they were, 
and could make for the shore. The words may mean equally well that th&y prayed that 
day might come (Rev. Ver., margin). 

30. A.nd as the sJiijymen tvere about to flee out of the ship ("the sailors 
were seeking to flee," Rev. Ver.) . Tinder color as though they would have cast 
anchors ("would lay out," Rev. Ver.): The boat would not be necessary to cast out 



47 



Lesson II. 



PAUL'S SHIPWRECK. 



Acts 27 : 27-44. 



31 Paul said to the centurion and 
to the soldiers, Except these abide 
in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 

32 Then the soldiers cut off the 
ropes of the boat, and let her fall 
off. 

2)2) And while the day was coming 
on, Paul besought tJiejti all to take 
meat, saying. This day is the four- 
teenth day that ye have tarried and 
continued fasting, having taken 
nothing. 

34 Wherefore I pray you to take 
so7?ie meat : for this is for your 
health : for there shall not an hair 
fall from the head of any of you. 

35 And \Yhen he had thus spoken, 
he took bread, and gave thanks to 
God in presence of them all : and 
when he had broken it, he began 
to eat. 

36 Then were they all of good 
cheer, and they also took soj?ie 
meat. 

37 And we were in all in the 
ship two hundred threescore and 
sixteen souls. 



Except these abide in the ship, 
32 ye cannot be saved. Then the 
soldiers cut away the ropes of 
the boat, and let her fall off. 
22 And while the day was com.ing 
on, Paul besought them all to 
take some food, saying, This day 
is the fourteenth day that ye 
wait and continue fasting, having 

34 taken nothing. Wherefore I 
beseech you to take some food : 
for this is for your safety : for 
there shall not a hair perish from 

35 the head of any of you. And 
when he had said this, and had 
taken bread, he gave thanks to 
God in the presence of all : and 
he brake it, and began to eat. 

36 Then were they all of good 
cheer, and themselves also took 

27 food. And we were in all in the 
ship ^ two hundred threescore 

38 and sixteen souls. And when 
they had eaten enough, they 
lightened the ship, throwing out 

39 the wheat into the sea. And 
when it was day, they knew not 



Some ancient authorities read about threescore atid sixteett souts. 



the anchors. Their pretext was to carry out the anchors to the full length of the cables, 
and then cast them off. 

31. Faiil said to the centurion and to the soldiers : He appealed to them; 
since, apparently, the ship's officers had lost control of their men. Te can not he saved : 
The pronoun is emphatic. Paul appeals to their personal desire for safety''. He had told 
them before, that they were all going to be saved unconditionally; but no man is justified, 
because of such a prediction, in throwing away the means of safety, or in expecting the 
safety without them. 

33. Have tarried ("wait," Rev. Ver.) : They were waiting for, expecting, some 
termination to this agony. It was this anxious waiting that kept them from eating. 

34. For this is for your health ("your safety," Rev. Ver.) : They needed food 
to carry them through the labors and dangers that lay between them and the land. There 
shall not an hair fall from the head of anij of you ("perish," Rev. Ver.): 
Here again Paul couples a promise of safety with directions as to the means of obtaining 
it. He wishes, moreover, to encourage them to take food by removing their fears. 

35. He tooJc bread, a}id gave ihanJis to God i)i ^yresence of them all: 
and tvhen he had hrohen it, he began to eat: The breaking of the bread was 
accompanied by its distribution ; and in this, and the giving of thanks, Paul took the place 
of the father of a family, and presided at the meal. He did not leave the matter to mere 
exhortation, but himself set the example of eating, and inaugurated the meal. 

36. ^nd they also (" themselves also," Rev. Ver.) : Their fear being relieved, hunger 
asserted itself. 

37. A.nd ive ivere in all : The picture of the ship's company all together that is 
before the writer's mind makes him speak of their number. Two hundred and seventy-six 
was a large company, and indicates a large vessel. 

48 



Lesson II. 



PAUL'S SHIPWRECK. 



Acts 27 : 27-44. 



38 And when they had eaten 
enough, they lightened the ship, 
and cast out the wheat into the sea. 

39 And when it was day, they 
knew not the land : but they dis- 
covered a certain creek with a 
shore, into the which they were 
minded, if it were possible, to thrust 
in the ship. 

40 And when they had taken up 
the anchors, they committed tJiem- 
selves unto the sea, and loosed the 
rudder bands, and hoisted up the 
mainsail to the wind, and made 
toward shore. 

41 And falling into a place where 
two seas met, they ran the ship 
aground ; and the forepart stuck 
fast, and remained unmovable, but 
the hinder part was broken with the 
violence of the waves. 



the land: but they perceived a 
certain bay with a beach, and 
they took counsel whether they 
could " drive the ship upon it. 

40 And casting off the anchors, 
they left them in the sea, at the 
same time loosing the bands of 
the rudders ; and hoisting up the 
foresail to the wind, they made 

41 for the beach. But lighting upon 
a place where two seas. met, they 
ran the vessel aground ; and the 
foreship struck and remained 
unmovable, but the stern began 
to break up by the violence of 

42 the waves. And the soldiers' 
counsel was to kill the prisoners, 
lest any of them should swim 

43 out, and escape. But the cen- 
turion, desiring to save Paul, 
stayed them from their purpose ; 



^ Some ancient authorities read bring the ship safe to shore. 

38. Throwing 07tt tJie luJieat : Probably this had been thrown out already (see verse 
18 and note), and what they threw overboard now was the ship's provisions. The fact that 
they did it after they had eaten enough points to this. 

39. They hnciv not the land : Even if they were acquainted with the island, they 
would not know this place necessarily, as the harbor of the island was at Valetta, several 
miles south of this. They discovered a certain creels tvith a shore ("with a 
beach," Rev. Ver.) ; The word denotes a sandy or pebbly, flat coast, as distinguished from 
the rocky, high shore that lines most of the bay. St. Paul's Bay was the place of the ship- 
wreck; and the only such inlets as are described here were at the western end of the bay, 
farthest from its opening. Into the tvhicli : Upon which, probably, referring to the 
beach, not the inlet. 

40. And ivJien they had tahen up the anchors, they committed thf^m- 
selves unto the sea ("and casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea," Rev. 
Ver.) : They cut away the anchors, and let their cables fall into the sea. They avoided 
taking them up, because it would waste their time over what was no longer of any use to 
them. A.}id loosed the rudder bands (" at the same time loosing the bands of the 
rudders," Rev. Ver.) : While they were at anchor, the rudders had been pulled up clear of 
the water, and out of danger of fouling with the anchors, and fastened. Now these fasten- 
ings were loosed, and the rudders put in position again. And Jioisted xip the main- 
sail (" the foresail," Rev. Ver.) : The word means som.ething hung or fastened, and that 
is about as far as we can get; but, by a long process of nautical and archseological research, 
the me.cLT\ir\g foresail has been fastened to it with some probability. These three things — 
cutting loose the anchors, putting the rudders into place, and hoisting a light sail — were 
the necessary preparations. 

41. And falling into aj^Jftce tvhere trvo seas tnet : This has been explained 
variously; but the explanation which seems to be justified by the topography of the scene 
of shipwreck — the language seeming to be an indecisive quantity here — refers it to the 
opening between the little island of Salmonetta and the western shore of the bay. Just 
where the waters of this narrow channel met those of the bay is supposed to be the place 
where they ran the ship aground; and it is the place, too, where the shore admits of such 
a manoeuvre. And the forepart stuck fast : There is a muddy bottom in the inlet 
here, which explains this statement. £ut the Jiinder part zvas broken zvitJi the 

49 



Ldsson III. 



PAUL GOING TO ROME. 



Acts 28: 1-15. 



42 And the soldiers' counsel was 
to kill the prisoners, lest any of 
them should swim out, and escape. 

43 But the centurion, willing to 
save Paul, kept them from t/iei?- 
purpose ; and commanded that they 
which could swim should cast them- 
selves first into the sea, and get to land : 

44 And the rest, some on boards, 
and some on brokoi pieces of the 
ship. And so it came to pass, that 
they escaped all safe to land. 



and commanded that they which 
could swim should cast them- 
selves overboard, and get first 
44 to the land : and the rest, some 
on planks, and some on other 
things from the ship. And so 
it came to pass, that they all 
escaped safe to the land. 



violence of the leaves (" the stem began to break up by the violence of the waves" 
Rev. Ver.) : There was water enough to float the stem of the vessel, which was left, 
therefore, to the pounding oi the waves, so that the dreaded result had come at last. 

42. To kill the x>risoners : The Roman Government required a very strict 
account of its prisoners, and even such extenuating circumstances as these might not save 
a soldier from death if his prisoner escaped. 

43. Willing to save l^aid (" desiring to save," Rev. Ver.). 

44. Some on hoards, and some on broken pieces of the ship: The 
Revised Version renders. Some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. 
All the furniture and loose stuff had been thrown overboard, or floated off before this, 
apparently. These must have been parts of the wreck, it would seem. 



LESSON III. 

PAUL GOING TO ROME. —Acts 28 : 1-15. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — Malta, on which Paul and his company had been cast, 
was an island in the Mediterranean, about sLxty miles south of the south-eastem comer of 
Sicily. It is seventeen miles long, nine miles in its greatest width, and sixty miles in cir- 
cumference. It was inhabited by Phoenicians, like the African coast south-west of it, and 
first became subject to Rome in the second Punic war. The island was made a part of the 
province of Sicily, and was governed by a legate of its praetor. It has been denied that 
Melita and Malta are identical here; and Meleda in the Adriatic, near the coast of Illyricum, 
has been made the scene of the shipwreck. But the indications in Luke's narrative have 
been followed out with untiring minuteness by Mr. Smith, in the book that we have men- 
tioned; and they all point decisively to Malta, and the arguments on the other side have 
been answered. In the voyage from Malta, they touched first at Syracuse, the well-known 
city on the eastem coast of Sicily; then they made their way against adverse winds to 
Rhegium, a town in the extreme south of Italy; then, the wind becoming favorable again, 
they made their way to Puteoli on the Bay of Naples, and from thence by foot to Rome. 
Paul's cherished purpose was accomplished at last: he was in Rome. 



I And when they were escaped, 
then they knew that the island was 

called Melita. 



1 And when we were escaped, 
then we knew that the island 

2 was called ^ Melita. And the 



^ Some ancient authorities read Melitene. 



NOTES. — 1. Then we kfiew that the island was called Melita: Probably by 
inquiry of the natives. 

50 



Lesson III. 



PAUL GOING TO ROME. 



Acts 28 : 1-15. 



2 And the barbarous people 
shewed us no little kindness : for 
they kindled a fire, and received us 
every one, because of the present 
rain, and because of the cold. 

3 And when Paul had gathered 
a bundle of sticks, and laid them on 
the fire, there came a viper out of 
the heat, and fastened on his hand. 

4 And when the barbarians saw 
the veiioniotis beast hang on his 
hand, they said among themselves, 
No doubt this man is a murderer, 
whom, though he hath escaped the 
sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to 
live. 

5 And he shook off the beast into 
the fire, and felt no harm. 

6 Howbeit they looked when he 
should have swollen, or fallen down 
dead suddenly : but after they had 
looked a great while, and saw no 
harm come to him, they changed 
their minds, and said that he was a 
god. 



barbarians shewed us no com- 
mon kindness : for they kindled 
a fire, and received us all, be- 
cause of the present rain, and 

3 because of the cold. But when 
Paul had gathered a bundle of 
sticks, and laid them on the fire, 
a viper came out ''by reason of 
the heat, and fastened on his 

4 hand. And when the barbari- 
ans saw the beast hanging from 
his hand, they said one to anoth- 
er, No doubt this man is a mur- 
derer, whom, though he hath 
escaped from the sea, yet Justice 

5 hath not suffered to live. How- 
beit he shook off the beast into 

6 the fire, and took no harm. But 
they expected that he would 
have swollen, or fallen down 
dead suddenly : but when they 
were long in expectation, and 
beheld nothing amiss come to 
him, they changed their minds, 
and said that he was a god. 



I Or, from the heat. 



2. A.nd the barbarous people shetved us no little Jcindness (" barba- 
rians," and " no common kindness," Rev. Ver.) : The term barbarians denotes nothing 
more than that they spoke a strange language, and was applied to all except Greeks and 
Romans. The Phoenician language was a branch of the same tongue as the Hebrew. 
The word for kzfidness here is the same as our word philanthropy. Hecatise of tlxe 
present rain, : On account of the rain which came on us. They had just escaped from 
a shipwreck, and had barely escaped drowning, and were in no condition to stand further 
exposure. 

3. There came a viper out of the heat {" A viper came out by reason of the 
heat," Rev. Ver.) : He was probably rendered torpid by the cold; and the heat roused him, 
and drove him out. 

4. The venomous beast ("the beast," Rev. Ver.): The venomousness is not 
implied in the name, but in the whole narrative, and especially in the fact that the natives 
recognized this as a poisonous snake. Yet vengeance suffereth not to live ("Yet 
Justice hath not suffered," Rev. Ver.): There is here a personification or deification of 
this attribute. The severity of the punishment made them think that he was guilty of a 
heinous crime. They knew already that he was a prisoner. 

6. Howbeit they looked tvhen he should have su'ollen : But they were ex- 
pecting that he was to swell up. They were looking for It as something sure to happen. 
They knew the venom.ous nature of the snake, and the fatal results of his bite. JBut after 
they had looked a.great rvhlle (" But when they were long in expectation," Rev. 
Ver.): The verb Is the same as In the first clause of the verse. No harm ("nothing 
amiss," Rev. Ver.) : The Idea of the words is, nothing 07ct of place. It comes to be applied 
to any thing abnormal, out of the usual course. A.nd said that he xvas a god: 
A sudden and extreme change, but not unusual In simple-minded people. They had never 
seen a man come out of such an experience whole ; and so they reasoned that he was not 
man, but god. " A man of God " was the golden mean, and the right conclusion. {^Bengel.') 



Lesson III. 



PAUL GOING TO ROME. 



Acts 28: 1-15. 



7 In the same quarters were 
possessions of the chief man of the 
island, whose name was Publius ; 
who received us, and lodged us 
three days courteously. 

8 And it came to pass, that the 
father of Publius lay sick of a fever 
and of a bloody flux : to whom Paul 
entered in, and prayed, and laid his 
hands on him, and healed him. 

9 So when this was done, others 
also, which had diseases in the isl- 
and, came, and were healed : 

10 Who also honoured us with 
many honours ; and when we de- 
parted, they laded tis with such 
things as were necessary. 

11 And after three months we 
departed in a ship of Alexandria, 
which had wintered in the isle, 
whose sign was Castor and Pollux. 



7 Now in the neighbourhood of 
that place were lands belonging 
to the chief man of the island, 
named Publius ; who received us, 
and entertained us three days 

8 courteously. And it was so, that 
the father of Publius lay sick of 
fever and dysentery : unto whom 
Paul entered in, and prayed, and 
laying his hands on him healed 

9 him. And when this was done, 
the rest also which had diseases 
in the island came, and were 

10 cured : who also honoured us 
with manv honours ; and when 
we sailed, they put on board 
such things as we needed. 

11 And after three months we 
set sail in a ship of Alexandria, 
which had wintered in the isl- 
and, whose sign was ^ The Twin 



^ Gr. Dioscuri. 



7. In the satne qtiarters tvere possessions of (" Now in the neighbourhood of 
that place were lands belonging to," Rev. Ver.) T7ie chief man of the island: 

Probably this was not in itself an official title. But the chief man would be probably the 
Roman governor, i.e., the legate of the praetor of Sicily. This Publius is not otherwise 
known, but it is a Roman name. Iiodged tis tliree days courteously/ (" Enter- 
tained us," Rev. Ver.) : The idea of the word is, that he received them as his guests. 
Courteously : In a friendly way. 

8. Of a fever and of a bloody flux (" Of fever and dysentery," Rev. Ver.) : The 
exact description of the disease is probably due to the presence of the physician Luke, 
whose presence has been indicated by the use of the first person plural in the narrative, 
since Paul's departure from Philippi (chapter 20: 6). I'rayedf and laid his hands 
on him : The prayer signified that the healing power came from God. The laying on of 
hands signified the transmission of the healing power from Paul to the sick man. 

ID. Wlio also honoured tis ivith many honours: This may mean that they 
rewarded Paul v/ith gifts in return for his healings; but this is contrary to Matt. 10: 8, and 
is not demanded by the language. A^nd tvhen we departed, they laded us tvith 
such things as tvere necessary {" and when we sailed, they put on board," Rev. 
Ver.) : The language may mean, either that they put on them these things, or that they 
put them on (board) for them. While they were on the island, the inhabitants showed 
them such marks of honor and regard as befitted persons who had done them such favors; 
and, when they set sail, they contributed to their wants. But, in all this, there was no 
mention of pay for services rendered. 

II. We departed (" set sail," Rev. Ver.). A^ ship of Alexandria, xvhich had 
tvintered in the isle : The island lay nearly in the track of an Alexandrian ship, bound 
for the western coast of Italy. The ship probably was caught in the same storm which 
shipwrecked Paul's vessel, but was able to make the safe harbor of Valetta, where it win- 
tered. Whose sifpi zvas Castor and Pollux {" The Twin Brothers," Rev. Ver.): 
Or, Dioscuri. Ancient vessels had an image painted or carved on the prow, by which they 
were distinguished, and which gave the ship its name. As Castor and Pollux were the 
tutelary divinities of sailors, this would be a common sign. 

52 



Lesson III. 



PAUL GOING TO ROME. 



Acts 28:1-15. 



12 And landing at Syracuse, we 
tarried there three days. 

13 And from thence we fetched 
a compass, and came to Rhegium : 
and after one day the south wind 
blew, and we came the next day to 
Puteoli : 

14 Where we found brethren, and 
were desired to tarry with them 
seven days : and so we went toward 
Rome. 

15 And from thence, when the 
brethren heard of us, they came to 
meet us as far as Appii forum, and 
The three taverns ; whom when 
Paul saw, he thanked God, and 
took courage. 



12 Brothers. And touching at S3T- 
acuse, we tarried there three 

13 days. And from thence we 
' made a circuit, and arrived at 
Rhegium : and after one day a 
south wind sprang up, and on 
the second day we came to Pu- 

14 teoli : where we found brethren, 
and were intreated to tarry with 
them seven days : and so we 

15 came to Rome. And from 
thence the brethren, when they 
heard of us, came to meet us as 
far as The Market of Appius, 
and The Three Taverns : whom 
when Paul saw, he thanked God, 
and took courage. 



^ Some ancient authorities read cast loose. 



12. And landing at Syracuse ("touching at Syracuse," Rev. Ver.): Or, putting 
in at. The word is the opposite of the one for "set sail" in verses 10, 11; and, strictly- 
speaking, it refers to bringing the vessel in, and not to the landing of its passengers. 

13. JVe fetched a compass : All that the language means is that they went around. 
It is used in Acts 19: 13; Heb. 11: 37, of persons going about from one place to another; 
and probably it denotes here the circuitous route of the vessel under unfavorable winds. 
The sotitli tvind hleiv (" a south wind sprang up," Rev. Ver.) : This was, of course, 
a favorable wind, so that they made the rest of the voyage quickly. I'titeoli: The dis- 
tance from Rhegium was a hundred and eighty miles, and the time therefore was quick. 
Puteoli was eight miles south-west of Naples, in the Bay of Naples, and was the principal 
port of Italy south of Rome. The vessel stopped here, as most of the corn-ships from 
Egypt did, this being the port to which that trade was brought. 

14. Were desired to tarry ("were intreated," Rev. Ver.). A.nd so -we tvent 
totvard Home : That is, after the delay of seven days at Puteoli. Their journey would 
be to Capua, a distance of twelve miles, where they would strike the Appian Way, leading 
directly to Rome. That city was distant one hundred and twenty-five miles from Capua. 

15. When the bretJiren heard of us : Better, having heard of us. It denotes the 
occasion as well as the time of their sending. Probably word was sent of the apostle's arri- 
val from Puteoli. jLppii forum: The name of a well-known station on the Appian 
Way, about forty-three miles from Rome. There was a canal through the Pontine Marshes, 
running parallel with the road for about twenty miles, of which Appii Forum was the north- 
ern terminus. It is possible that the centurion may have brought his party over this canal. 
The three taverns: Tres Ta*bern2e; another station on the Appian Way, thirty miles 
from Rome. He thanhed God, and took, courage : Paul had been looking for- 
ward to this visit to Rome with great expectation, and, as his Epistle to the Romans shows 
us, with some anxiety. This eagerness of the brethren to see him, showing itself in two 
parties coming many miles to meet him and receive him, must have been a great encourage- 



ment. 



53 



Lesson IV. 



PAUL AT ROME. 



Acts 28: 16-31. 



LESSON IV. 

PAUL AT ROME. — Acts 28:16-31. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — Three years before this arrival at Rome, Paul had written 
a letter to the church in that city. In it he had sent a long list of salutations to members 
of the church, showing that, while he had never been there, he had a numerous acquaint- 
ance among the brethren. He had also expressed a very earnest wish to come to Rome, 
and preach the gospel there, that he might gather some of its fruit in Rome, as well as else- 
where among the Gentiles. In this letter, too, in order to prepare the way for his coming 
to a church not founded by himself, he had made the most elaborate statement of his gospel, 
— the universal gospel that he, as the apostle to the Gentiles, preached, — defending it against 
all the attempts of Judaizing false teachers to narrow its scope, or change its form. He had, 
moreover, drawn out at great length his view of the relation of the Jews to this gospel, 
of the people of God to the gospel of God. And now he was in Rome, not as a preacher, 
but as a prisoner, of Jesus Christ; not so much because he preached the gospel, as because 
of the peculiar form of freedom and universality, so obnoxious to the exclusiveness and pride 
of the Jews, that he gave to it. He was here, nominally, as the prisoner of Rome, but really 
in order that Rome might judge between himself and the Jews in regard to this very con- 
troversy which had been the subject of the epistle, and decide whether his preaching of 
Christianity constituted an unlawful attack on Judaism. He varies his usual course, there- 
fore, by taking up with the Jews first this matter of his imprisonment; and only when he 
found that they had no controversy with him about that, did he turn to the gospel itself, 
which he preached with the usual meagre and doubtful success to the Jews, and then turned 
to the Gentiles. 



16 And when we came to Rome, 
the centurion delivered the prisoners 
to the captain of the guard : but Paul 
was suffered to dwell by himself 
with a soldier that kept him. 

17 And it came to pass, that after 
three days Paul called the chief of 
the Jews together : and when they 
were come together, he said unto 
them, Men and brethren, though I 
have committed nothing against the 



16 And when we entered into 
Rome, ^ Paul was suffered to 
abide by himself with the sol- 
dier that guarded him. 

17 And it came to pass, that after 
three days he called together 
^ those that were the chief of the 
Jews : and when they were come 
together, he said unto them, I, 
brethren, though I had done 
nothing against the people, or 



^ Some ancient authorities insert the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain 
of the prcEtorian gnard : but. ^ Or, those that were of the Jews first. 



NOTES. — 16. And 'when tve came to Home, the centurion delivered 
the prisoners to the caj^tain of the guard; hut Paul ivas stiffered ("And 
when we entered into Rome, Paul was suffered," Rev. Ver.) : This permission was in 
accordance with a common practice of the Roman Government in the case of prisoners not 
specially obnoxious to it. Paul's case would be represented favorably by Festus who found 
nothing against him, and by the centurion Julius who had treated him with so uniform con- 
sideration and distinction even. Divell hy himself : Instead of being herded with 
other prisoners, or kept in the praetorian camp; but he had to be chained to the soldier 
guarding him. 

17. After three days : He lost no time in using the liberty allowed him for his work. 
The three days had been employed, in all probability, in exchange of greetings between 
himself and the church, of which Luke says nothing. Paul called (" he called," Rev. 

54 



Lesson IV. 



PAUL AT ROME. 



Acts 28: 16-31. 



people, or customs of our fathers, 
yet was I delivered prisoner from 
Jerusalem into the hands of the 
Romans : 

18 Who, when they had examined 
me, would have let 7ne go, because 
there was no cause of death in me, 

19 But when the Jews spake 
against z?, I was constrained to ap- 
peal unto Caesar ; not that I had 
aught to accuse my nation of. 

20 For this cause therefore have 
I called for you, to see you, and to 
speak with you: because that for 
the hope of Israel I am bound with 
this chain. 



the customs of our fathers, yet 
was delivered prisoner from 
Jerusalem into the hands of the 

18 Romans : who, when they had 
examined me, desired to set me 
at liberty, because there was no 

19 cause of death in me. But when 
the Jews spake against it, I was 
constrained to appeal unto Cae- 
sar; not that I had aught to 

20 accuse my nation of. For this 
cause therefore did I ^ intreat 
you to see and to speak with me : 
for because of the hope of Israel 

21 I am bound with this chain. And 
they said unto him. We neither 



^ Or, call /or you, to see and to speak with you. 



Ver.) : Th.e chief of the Jews : Evidently, from what follows, the unconverted Jews 
only. Though I have committed nothing against the peoj>le, or customs 
of our fathers (" the customs," Rev. Ver.) : Paul's thought, as a Christian, had been 
to reconcile his position with his Judaism; and hence he regarded his work as not in any 
sense anti-Jewish. Jesus was to him the Jewish Messiah, so that to preach him was not 
contrary to the Jewish people; and Christianity he regarded as the completion of the 
Mosaic statutes, and the final form of the Jewish system, so that to teach it was not con- 
trary to the ancestral customs. Yet tvas I delivered prisoner : This is certainly a 
mild and conciliatory way of stating the fact that he was rescued from an infuriated Jewish 
mob by the Roman authorities ; but it states well enough what Paul wished to convey, — that 
his present imprisonment was due to Jewish hostility. Paul was moved to this defence of 
himself, as his first move, by the necessity of explaining his condition as a prisoner, by the 
probability or possibility that they had received instructions from Jerusalem against him, 
and by the hope of conciliating them before his trial came on. 

18. Who . . . rvotdd have let tne go (" desired to set me at liberty," Rev. Ver.) : 
This was true of both Felix and Festus (see 24: 22, 23, 27; 25: 18, 19) ; that is, they were 
convinced of his innocence, and kept him a prisoner only on account of the Jews. 

19. Btit zvJien the tlews spake against it, I was constrained to ajypeal 
unto Ccesar : This is a new combination of the facts, as Paul's appeal to Caesar was 
owing to Festus' proposition that he should be tried at Jerusalem; but it is a combination 
easily enough made by putting together 25:9 and 25:18, 19. The evident opposition of 
the Jews to Paul's acquittal was all that prevented it; as it was a cardinal principle of the 
empire, in its government of the provinces, to conciliate the inhabitants. Paul's statement 
in this case, too, was due to his desire to suppress facts unfavorable to his countrymen. 
His attitude was conciliatory throughout. Not that I had aught to accuse my 
nation of: Paul's attitude in this matter was purely a defensive one. 

20. For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to 
speah with yoti ("did I," etc.. Rev. Ver.): The other change suggested by the 
revisers, — to supply me, instead oi yott, after the infinitives, — while allowable as an 
alternative, does not seem preferable. By this cause, Paul means his whole attitude 
toward the question between himself and the Jews, as just stated by him. He was not in 
any way hostile to the Jews, nor to their religion; and he wished to remove their prejudice 
by making this appear. For the hope of Israel : Here he comes to the positive 
reason for inviting this consultation. He wished to lay before them the fact, that it was not 
for discarding nor opposing Judaism, but for the hope of Israel, that he was bound. Of 
course, he refers here to the Messianic expectation of the Jews. 

55 



Lesson IV, 



PAUL AT ROME. 



Acts 28 : 16-31. 



21 And they said unto him, We 
neither received letters out of Judaea 
concerning thee, neither any of the 
brethren that came sliewed or spake 
any harm of thee. 

22 But we desire to hear of thee 
what thou thinkest : for as concern- 
ing this sect, we know that every- 
where it is spoken against. 

23 And when they had appointed 
him a day, there came many to him 
into his lodging : to whom he ex- 
pounded and testified the kingdom 
of God, persuading them concern- 
ing Jesus, both out of the law of 
Moses, and out of the prophets, 
from morning till evening. 

24 And some believed the things 
which were spoken, and some be- 
lieved not. 

25 And when they agreed not 
among themselves, they departed, 
after that Paul had spoken one 
word, Well spake the Holy Ghost 
by Esaias the prophet unto our 
fathers, 



23 



received letters from Judaea con- 
cerning thee, nor did any of the 
brethren come hither and report 

22 or speak any harm of thee. But 
we desire to hear of thee what 
thou thinkest : for as concerning 
this sect, it is known to us that 
everywhere it is spoken against. 
And when they had appointed 
him a day, they came to him into 
his lodging in great number ; to 
whom he expounded the matter, 
testifying the kingdom of God, 
and persuading them concerning 
Jesus, both from the law of 
Moses and from the prophets, 
from morning till evening. And 
some believed the things which 
were spoken, and some disbe- 
lieved. And when they agreed 
not among themselves, they de- 
parted, after that Paul had 
spoken one word, Well spake 
the Holy Ghost ^ by Isaiah the 

26 prophet unto your fathers, say- 
ing 



24 



25 



Or, throjigh. 



21. We neither received letters : Probably they had received no communications 
since Paul's appeal to Caesar, preparing them for his presence in Rome; but it is almost 
impossible to suppose that there had been no communication between them and Judaea 
during this time, and that so important a matter had not been mentioned, or even fully 
canvassed. But, as Meyer suggests, they fall back on their official position, and disclaim 
receiving any official communication about it. What reports they had heard as private 
persons, they say nothing about. They wish to appear in the matter as unprejudiced persons, 

22. Sut tve desire : Better, we think it proper. They had heard nothing, and so 
brought no charges against him; but they thought it proper to hear from him, so as to form 
some judgment about the case. What thou thinkest : In general, what his opinions 
and principles were. TJi is sect : This party, or school, of religious thought. That 
everyivhere It is spoJien ar/arnst : Here, again, they attempt the fo/e of ignorance, 
speaking as if they had no personal knowledge of Christianity, but had heard something 
about it; and yet there was a large church in Rome, with a mixed Jewish and Gentile 
membership, which would have forced on their attention every burning question between 
Christianity and Judaism. 

23. There came many to him, into his lodging : There came more; viz., than 
on the prcNaous day. His lodghig is the place where he was entertained as a guest. It 
was after this that he procured a house for himself. To whom he exjioiinded and 
testified (" he expounded t/ie matter, testifying, . . . and persuading," Rev. Ver.) : 
The two participial clauses show in what his exposition consisted. The hingdom of 
God : The Messianic kingdom, showing what was the nature of that kingdom in the 
Christian sj^slem. Concerning tfestts : Proving his Messianic claim out of the Scrip- 
tures (see 26: 23). 

24. Sotne believed, . . . and some disbelieved : The greater part evidently disbelieved. 

25. By Isaiah the prophet : The quotation is from Isa. 6: 9, 10, and is taken from the 

56 



Lesson IV. 



PAUL AT ROME. 



Acts 28: 16-31. 



26 Saying, Go unto this people, 
and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and 
shall not understand ; and seeing ye 
shall see, and not perceive : 

27 For the heart of this people 
is waxed gross, and their ears are 
dull of hearing, and their eyes have 
they closed; lest they should see 
with their eyes, and hear with their 
ears, and understand with their 
heart, and should be converted, and 
I should heal them. 

28 Be it known therefore unto 
you, that the salvation of God is 
sent unto the Gentiles, and that 
they will hear it. 

29 And when he had said these 
words, the Jews departed, and had 
great reasoning among themselves. 

30 And Paul dwelt two whole 
years in his own hired house, and 
received all that came in unto him, 

31 Preaching the kingdom of 
God, and teaching those things 
which concern the Lord Jesus 
Christ, with all confidence, no man 
forbidding him. 



Go thou unto this people, and 

say, 
By hearing ye shall hear, and 

shall in no wise understand ; 
And seeing ye shall se-^, and 

shall in no wise perceive : 

27 For this people's heart is 

waxed gross, 
And their ears are dull of 

hearing, 
And their eyes they have 

closed ; 
Lest haply they should 

ceive with their eyes. 
And hear with their ears. 
And understand with 

heart. 
And should turn again, 
And I should heal them, 

28 Be it known therefore unto 
you, that this salvation of God 
is sent unto the Gentiles : they 
will also hear.^ 

30 And he abode two whole 
years in his own hired dwelling, 
and received all that went in 

31 unto him, preaching the kingdom 
of God, and teaching the things 
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ 
with all boldness, none forbid- 
ding him. 



per- 



their 



* Some ancient authorities insert verse 29, And when he had said these words, the Jews 
departed, havi7ig much dispjtting atno^ig themselves. 



Septuagint Version. The original is a command throughout. Here it gives as a reason 
for the people's hearing without understanding, that their spiritual senses have been dulled 
through disuse and perversion ; and Paul treats it as a description of the permanent, not 
the temporary and casual, spiritual quality of the Jews. 

28. He it Tinotvn therefore to you : That is, since the Jews' eyes and ears are 
closed. The salvation of God ("this salvation of God," Rev. Ver.). A.nd that 
they tvill hear it : They is emphatic, contrasted with ye (verse 26) . 

29. Omit (Rev. Ver.). 

30. Two whole years : Probably at the end of that time he was brought to trial, 
and set at liberty for a time. In his otvn hit'ed house : As distinguished from being 
a guest in another person's house. A^nd received : Welcomed, or received gladly. 

31. With all confidence : Without any reserve, speaking out all that was in his 
mind. None forbidding him: Without any restraint put on him by the Roman Govern- 
ment. 

57 



Lesson V. 



OBEDIE^XE. 



Eph,^M-\l. 



LESSON V. 

OBEDIENCE. — EptL. 6:1-13. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — While Paul was a prisoner at Rome, he not only preached 
to those who came to his house, but he kept himself in communication with the churches 
that he had founded in Greece and Asia Minor, receiving messages from them, and send- 
ing letters to them. Among these letters, probably the first were a group of three sent 
to churches and to an individual disciple in Asia Minor. Onesimus was to be sent back 
to his master in Colosss, to whom he carried a letter, — the Episde to Philemon. And 
with him went Tychicus carrying a letter to the church at Colossae, and also our Epistle. 
But whether this Epistle was written to the Ephesians, or not, is a matter of som.e doubt. 
The words " at Ephesus," in chapter i : i, are omitted in the two oldest Greek manuscripts; 
and there is other weighty testimony against their genuineness: neither does it seem 
natural to suppose that Paul should speak of their faith as a thing of which he had heard, 
when he had himself founded the church only about seven years before, remaining with 
them three years after that (chapter i : 15) ; nor does the way in which he speaks of their 
hearing of the stewardship of the gospel intrusted to him, and of their understanding 
through some previous writing how Paul came to know the mystery of the gospel, seem 
to be consistent with the supposition that this was an episde to the Ephesians (chapter 3 : 
2-4). At the same time, it is very difficult to explain the verse from which the words " at 
Ephesus " are omitted, without them, or some equivalent for them; and there is no authority 
for inserting any thing else. If the words are to be omitted therefore, and this letter was 
not addressed to the Ephesians, it seems the most reasonable supposition, that it was a 
letter intended for several churches (in Asia Minor), and that this space was therefore left 
purposely blank, to be filled in each case with the name of the church in whose hands it 
•was for the time. The Epistle falls into two parts, doctrinal and practical. The doctrinal 
part (chapters 1-3) dwells upon the greatness of the work of salvation, the change that it 
makes in man's life and destiny, and its universality. The practical part (chapters 4-6) 
exhorts to Christian unit}', to a life worthy of their new state, and to an observance in the 
Lord of the duties belonging to their various relations. Our lesson belongs to this last 
subdivision, taking up the relations between parents and children, and between masters 
and slaves. 



1 Children, obey your parents in 
the Lord : for this is right. 

2 Honour thy father and mother ; 
which is the first commandment 
with promise ; 



1 Children, obey your parents 
in the Lord : for this is right. 

2 Honour thy father and mother 
(which is the first commandment 

3 with promise), that it may be 



NOTES. — I. Obey yo^tr })aretits in the Z.ord : All duties are looked upon by 
the apostle as forming part of a life that gets its character from the vital union of the Chris- 
tian with his Lord. The Christian is one who acts not independendy, but in the Lord (see 
Rom. 16: 2, 22; Phil. 2: 29; Col. 3: 18). It is a peculiarly Pauline expression. JTor 
this is right : This fulfils the law of your relations to them. 

2. Honour thy father and mother : This is the law of their feelings, as obedience 
is of their actions; and it is the principle of obedience. In this form of the command, Paul 
adopts the language of the Decalogue (Ex. 20: 12; Deut. 5: 16). Which is the first 
commandment ivitJi 2)>'ot>iise : The relative here is in a form indicating that the 
clause is a reason for what precedes, — seeing that it is, etc. ; but the reason is not exacdy 
the promise, but the fact that by the promise attached to it the command is given a special 
prominence. The statement in regard to God, which accompanies the second command, 

58 



Lesson V, 



OBEDIENCE. 



Eph. 6:1-13. 



3 That it may be well with thee, 
and thou mayest live long on the 
earth. 

4 And, ye fathers, provoke not 
your children to wrath : but bring 
them up in the nurture and admo- 
nition of the Lord. 

5 Servants, be obedient to them 
that are your masters according to 
the flesh, with fear and trembling, 
in singleness of your heart, as unto 
Christ ; 

6 Not with eyeservice, as men- 
pleasers; but as the servants of 



well with thee, and thou ^may- 
est live long on the ^ earth. 

4 And, ye fathers, provoke not 
your children to wrath : but nur- 
ture them in the chastening and 
admonition of the Lord. 

5 ^Servants, be obedient unto 
them that according to the flesh 
are your "* masters, with fear and 
trembling, in singleness of your 

6 heart, as unto Christ; not in the 
way of eyeservice, as men-pleas- 
ers ; but as ^ servants of Christ, 
doing the will of God from the 



Or, shalt. 2 Or, land. 3 Gr. Bondservants. ^ Gr. lords. 



is not strictly a promise; and the fact that there is no other " command with promise " 
in the Decalogue does not make it incorrect to say that this is the first, since it is not 
necessary to suppose that Paul confines himself to the Decalogue in his enumeration of 
commands. 

3. 'llicbt it may he well xvitli thee : Having stated that there is a promise, Paul 
proceeds to give it. Prosperity and long life are the things promised. The law kept itself 
mostly to this life and this earth in its rewards and punishments, and it is in the spiritual- 
izing of these that one great advance is made on the law by the gospel. On tJie eartJi 
(" on the land," Rev. Ver. margin) : Paul is making a quotation here, and so the words 
are to be kept to their original sense. 

4. A.nd, ye fathers : Mothers are included also, since the apostle is treating the 
mutual duties of parents and children; but the class parefits is denoted by its principal 
rae:mhQr, father. Pi'ovoUe not: By injustice or harshness. They are to command 
obedience by mild and just treatment. Their authority rests on love. But bring them 
up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord : In the training and reproof 
of the Lord. The first is the general word for education or discipline ; the second denotes 
the chastisement, the sharp word or blow, by which evil is corrected. This training and 
reproof are said to be the Lord's, in the same sense in which children are to obey in the 
Lord. Christ so dwells in them that their action is his. The meaning is, therefore, that 
they are to do in this matter what his Spirit in them prompts. 

5. Set^vants : ^'/^z'^'j is the meaning of the word. The wisdom of Christianity at this 
early period was, that it attacked no existing institution of government or society, but taught 
the duties that belonged to men in that frame of things ; and it was because it was seen 
that the new religion produced order and submission, instead of revolt and disturbance, that 
it was allowed to live. Its principle is the slow process of repair and growth, not violent 
upheaval. It trusted the Spirit and the truth to bring about the time when men should see 
that its principles demanded not only duties within certain relations, but the change of the 
relations, and the removal of the institutions. According to the flesh : In their out- 
ward and material relations, as opposed to their spiritual relations in which Christ is the 
master of them all. With fear aad trembling : It is not so much fear of their mas- 
ters that Paul enjoins on them, but dread of not coming up to the full standard of their 
duty (see i Cor. 2: 3; 2 Cor. 7: 15; Phil. 2: 12). In singleness of your heart: 
That is,- be what you appear to be; not apparently obedient, and really rebellious, but ren- 
dering a real sers'ice of both hand and heart. As unto Christ : They are really serving 
Christ in this obedience ; since it is a divine law that pervades these human relations, and 
enjoins the duties that belong to them. 

6. Not tvifJi eyeservice, as tnen-pleasers (" Not in the way of eyeservice," Rev. 
Ver.) ; Not following the master's eye, so as to work when that is on them, and lay off 

59 



Lesson V. 



OBEDIENCE. 



Eph. 6:1-13, 



Christ, doing the will of God from 
the heart ; 

7 With good will doing service, 
as to the Lord, and not to men : 

8 Knowing that whatsoever good 
thing any man doeth, the same shall 
he receive of the Lord, whether he 
be bond or free. 

9 And, ye masters, do the same 
things unto them, forbearing threat- 
ening : knowing that your Master 
also is in heaven ; neither is there 
respect of persons with him. 

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong 
in the Lord, and in the power of his 
might. 

11 Put on the whole armour of 
God, that ye may be able to stand 
against the wiles of the devil. 



^ heart ; with good will doing ser- 
vice, as unto the Lord, and not 
unto men : knowing that what- 
soever good thing each one 
doeth, the same shall he receive 
again from the Lord, whether he 
be bond or free. And, ye ^ mas- 
ters, do the same things unto 
them, and forbear threatening ; 
knowing that both their Master 
and yours is in heaven, and there 
is no respect of persons with 
him. 

3 Finally, "^be strong in the 
Lord, and in the strength of his 
might. Put on the whole armour 
of God, that ye may be able 
to stand against the wiles of 
the devil. For our wrestling is 



^ Gr. soul. 2 Gr. lords. 3 Or, From henceforth. 4 Gr. be wade power/id. 

when his back is turned. By inen-pleasers he means those who seek the favor of men, 
and not that favor of God which can come only from genuine goodness. Men can be de- 
ceived with the appearance of service. jBm* as the servants of Christ : The slaves 
of Christ; they belong to him (see i Cor. 6: 19, 20). This is opposed to the men-pleasers 
of the preceding clause. Doinff tJie will of God from the heart : This is the 
kind of service that comes from belonging to Christ. In the first place, it makes all human 
duty an obedience to the will of God, introducing this divine element into the human ser- 
vice ; and, in the second place, it makes it to be done from the heart : the law becomes a 
law of liberty. 

7. With good tvill doing service : They are not only to serve their masters, but 
to do it with a friendly disposition toward them, as if they were serving God and not men. 
It seems very evident that the apostle recognizes the possible hardship of this service, and 
would reconcile them to it by making them see the service of the Lord that lies hidden in it. 

8. A.nj/ nian doeth (" Each one doeth," Rev. Ver.). Whether he he bond or 
free : There is a difference in the allotments of this life between bond and free; but God 
takes account of nothing but the difference between good and evil, in his awards, 

9. Do the satne tilings unto them : They are to act toward their servants with the 
same good-will that the slaves are required to show toward them, and with the same recog- 
nition of the relation to Christ of all these human duties. Forbearing threatening : 
That is, as a means of urging them to their work, and employing instead the milder influ- 
ences by which Christ wins men to obedience. linotving tJiat your Master also is 
in Jieaven ("both their Master and yours," Rev. Ver.). Itesx>ect of j^ersons : Re- 
gard for the outward distinctions between men, such as appearance, wealth, position, etc. 
This is substantially the same motive by which he influences the slaves (verse 8). As their 
humble position will not deprive them of their reward, so the master's superior position 
will not save him from the consequence of his evil action. 

10. I'inallg, mg brethren^ be strong : Omit my brethren (Rev. Ver.). He 
closes these practical exhortations with directions as to where the source of their strength 
for the performance of them lay. They were to be strong (or become strong) not in them- 
selves, but in the Lord. A.nd in the poiver of his might : The word for might 
here denotes the strength resident in Christ ; that for power denotes its power to accom- 
plish something in men. How the apostle loves to dwell on this power of the Christ to 
accomplish things in his people! 

11. Put on the ivhole armour of God : Truth, righteousness, faith, the word of 

60 



Lesson VI. 



CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE. 



Phil. 2 : 5-16. 



12 For we wrestle not against 
flesh and blood, but against princi- 
palities, against powers, against the 
rulers of the darkness of this world, 
against spiritual wickedness in high 
places. 

13 Wherefore take unto you the 
whole armour of God, that ye may 
be able to withstand in the evil day, 
and having done all, to stand. 



not against flesh and blood, 
but against the principalities, 
against the powers, against the 
world-rulers of this darkness, 
against the spiritual hosts of 
wickedness in the heavenly 
13 places. Wherefore take up the 
whole armour of God, that ye 
may be able to withstand in the 
evil da)^, and, having done all, 
to stand. 



God, and prayer (verses 14-18). The emphasis is on their putting on the whole armor, 
leaving nothing out, in so important a contest. It is God's armor, in the sense that God 
supplies it: he is the author of these graces. Tlie tviles of the devil : It is not mere 
force, but cunning strategy, that we have to meet in the Devil. 

12. Fot' tve ivrestle not (" Our wrestling is not," Rev. Ver.) : The word, however, 
comes to be used of any conflict; and here, certainly, the contest is not wrestling, but fight- 
ing with weapons. A.ffainst flesh and blood : This is a frequent designation of man 
in the New Testament, emphasizing his frailty — not against weak man. Against prin- 
cipalities, af/ainst powers, against the ruler's of the darkness of this 
tvorld, against spiritual wickedness in high places : Against dominions, 
against authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of 
wickedness in the heavenly places. These are all various ways of designating the demons 
who have their abode, according to Jewish tradition, in the air, and rule this evil world. 
Probably the dominions and authoriiies are different orders of demons, as in i : 21 of 
angels. The ivorld-rulers of this darkness denotes them, all together, as ruling over 
this world in the darkness of the present age. And the spiritual hosts of wickedness in 
the heavenly places denotes them as a banded, organized host of evil, spirits of darkness, 
inhabiting the (lower) heavens. In chapter 2: 2, this habitation is said to be the air, and 
this is the stricter term; but the larger, more sounding word is used here to accord with 
the general description of the power arrayed against the Christian. 

13. In the evil day : The day of conflict (see i Thess. 5: 1-8, 2 Thess. 2: i-io). 
A.nd having done all, to stand : This represents the state of things after the 
battle. They are to receive strength to withstand in the conflict; and so, having accom- 
plished every thing that belongs to successful resistance, to finally beat off their enemies, 
and remain masters of the field. 



LESSON VI. 



CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE. — Pliil. 2 : 5-16. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — In the Epistles to the Ephesians (so called), to the Colos- 
sians, and to Philemon, Paul had cared for his churches in Asia Minor. Shortly afterwards 
his attention was drawn to Macedonia; and he wrote the letter to the Philippians, who 
constituted the first church founded by him in Europe. The occasion of the letter was the 
arrival of Epaphroditus, a prominent member of the church, with offerings to cheer the 
apostle in his captivity. In the performance of this service, Epaphroditus had contracted 
a dangerous disease; and, immediately on his recovery, he desired to hasten back, and 
relieve the anxiety of the church about him. Paul takes this occasion to send them a 
letter. He begins by assuring them that his imprisonment has been a means of furthering 
the gospel. Then he speaks of his coming trial, and of his belief, on the whole, that he 
^Yould be acquitted, and come to them again. He exhorts them, therefore, to prepare for 

6i 



Lesson VI. CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE. P-^//. 2 : 5-16. 

his coming by a worthy life, and holds up before them the inspiring example of Christ. 
Then he speaks of the coming among them of Timothy and Epaphroditus. In the third 
chapter, apparently as an afterthought, he warns them against the Judaizers, and shows 
them how he had rejected all confidence in the flesh, in order to find all fulness in Christ. 
Then, coming again to the personal matters interrupted by this, he addresses certain brief 
exhortations to prominent members of the church, makes grateful mention of their gift, 
and so closes the most beautiful of all his epistles. The passage selected for our lesson is 
the one in which he holds up before them the example of Jesus, as an incitement to humility 
and love. It is a locus classicas in regard to the exalted being and station of our Lord. 



5 Let this mind be in you, which 
was also in Christ Jesus : 

6 Who, being in the form of God, 
thought it not robbery to be equal 
with God : 



5 Have this mind in you, which 

6 was also in Christ Jesus: who, 
^ being in the form of God, 
counted it not ^ a prize to be on 

7 an equality with God, but emp- 



^ Gr. bei7ig originally. 2 Gr. a thiiig to be grasped. 



NOTES. — 5. jLet this mind be in you, rvhichtvas also in Christ: The 

apostle has been exhorting them to humility and unselfishness; and now he urges them to 
have the mind of Christ in these matters. 

6. Who, being in the form of God: This refers to the pre-existent state of 
Jesus, as it is contrasted with the form 0/ a servant, and the likeness of me7i, which he 
assumed in his earthly state. By the_/^rw of God is meant the outward conditions and 
manifestations of the divine being, — his majesty and glory. God is an invisible, spiritual 
being; but he manifests himself in ways that express his inner nature, as the body of man 
manifests him. The idea is, therefore, that Christ had this same glory as the outward man-=^ 
ifestation of his being. Tlioitght it not robbery to be eqnal tvith God. This 
equality with God stands in contrast with the form of a servant and the likeness of men, 
just as the being in the form of God Aaes; and therefore, probably, the two denote sub- 
stantially the same thing. The equality with God consists in the possession of the divine 
glory and majesty, not as inward qualities, but as outward manifestations of the divine 
being. The connection would be expressed as follows: Who, being in the form of God, 
thojight this equality not robbery. But now, what does this word translated robbery 
mean ? The word itself means, properly, an act of spoiling or plundering; but by an 
interchange common among the two classes of words, though not verified in the case of 
this word, it may mean booty or spoil. If the former signification is given to it, then the 
meaning has been taken to be. Since he was in the form of God, he thought it not rob- 
bery. If the latter signification is taken, then the meaning has been supposed to be. Though 
he was in the form of God, he did not think it spoil, or a thing to be grasped. It is to 
be remembered, that the thing contrasted with this equality was the becoming a man, 
involving, as it did, the emptying of himself of this equality; and, in the circumstances, 
Jesus would have considered it a seizure to be on an equality with God, since, while it 
belonged to him originally, his work demanded now that it be given up. The other, then, 
is, for substance, the meaning; viz., that Jesus did not regard it as a thing to be seized by 
him. But this may be modified in two ways. First, the word that we are seeking to trans- 
late may be rendered a matter of seizure, instead of a thitig to be seized. Jesus did 
not regard obtaining this equality as belonging to that class of things, and so would not 
seize it. And, secondly, it does not seem necessary to regard the participial clause — beijig 
in the form of God — as concessive, meaning though he was in the form of God: 
rather, having that equality, if it had become a matter of grasping for him to have it, he 
would for that reason refuse to degrade it. The meaning, then, is this : Jesus was in the 
form of God; but, when it came to be a matter of seizure or spoil for him to retain this 
equality with God, he refused to regard it as such, to contemplate it in that light. 

62 



Lesson VI. 



CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE. 



Phil. 2:5-16. 



7 But made himself of no repu- 
tation, and took upon him the form 
of a servant, and was made in the 
likeness of men : 

8 And being found in fashion as 
a man, he humbled himself, and 
became obedient unto death, even 
the death of the cross. 

9 Wherefore God also hath highly 
exalted him, and given him a name 
which is above every name ; 

10 That at the name of Jesus 
every knee should bow, of things in 
heaven, and things in earth, and 
thi7tgs under the earth; 



tied himself, taking the form of 
a ^ servant, ^ being made in the 

8 likeness of men; and being 
found in fashion as a man, he 
humbled himself, becoming obe- 
dient even unto death, yea, the 

9 death of the cross. Wherefore 
also, God highly exalted him, 
and gave unto him the name 

ID which is above every name ; that 
in the name of Jesus every knee 
should bow, of things in heaven, 
and things on earth, and ^ things 

II under the earth, and that every 
tongue should confess that Jesus 



Qix. bondservant. ^ Gr. becoming in. 3 Qx, things of the world belo%v. 



7. Hut made himself of no reputation (" But emptied himself," Rev. Ver.) : 
He emptied himself of this equality, consisting in the possession of the divine glory. 
And tooh upon him the form of a servant (" Taking the form of a servant," 
Rev. Ver.): It denotes that in which the emptying consists; viz., the exchange of the 
divine form of being for that of a servant of God. Notice how exact the contrast is be- 
tween equaUty with God, and the form of a servant. And was made in the like- 
ness of men (" Being made in the Hkeness of men," Rev. Ver.) : This denotes that 
in which the assumption of the form of a servant consists, — men being the bond-servants 
of God. The term likeness of meti does not imply the lack of reality in his humanity, 
but simply that this apparent nature did not exhaust the reality of his being. He was not 
simply a man, but the Son of God become man. 

8. And being fotind in fa.shion as a man: The word trSi-nsldXeA fashion 
denotes not merely the form, but everything belonging to the outward condition, — the 
speech, action, manner of life, needs and their supply, and so on. He humbled him- 
self : The discourse changes here from the assumption of humanity by Jesus to what he 
did as a man. Being in the form of God, he became man; and now, having become man, 
he humbled himself. And became obedient (" Becoming obedient," Rev. Ver.) : It 
denotes that in which the humiliation consists. Having become man, he did not refuse the 
humble state of obedience that belongs to man. His position as a man was that of a bond- 
servant of God, and he did not refuse obedience to his master. TJnto death : This 
denotes the degree of obedience rendered by him. He found that obedience involved 
death, and he did not refuse even that. Even the death of the cross : Not only 
death, but a humiliating and painful death, reserved for slaves and the lowest criminals. 

9. Whe7'efore also God highly exalted hijn (Rev. Ver.) : There was not only a 
humiliation, but also an exaltation, and an exaltation arising from the humiliation. Jesus 
became, through this humbling of himself, the true Messianic king, ruling in the hearts 
and over the spirits of men. The exaltation has its outward form in the ascension and 
enthronement of our Lord, but its reality in the ascendancy which his self-sacrificing love 
gives him over the human heart and conscience. See Matt. 22 : 44; 23 : 10-12; Luke 17 : 
21; 22 : 24-30; 24 : 26, 46, 47; John 12: 23-28, 31-33; 13 : 12-18, 31, 32; 18: 37; Eph. i : 
20-23; 4 : 8-10; Heb. 2 : 9 (Rev. Ver.) ; i Peter 3 : 18-22. And given him a name 
which is above every name ("Gave unto him the name," Rev. Ver.): He has 
made the name of Jesus to be the most exalted name, surrounded it with the attributes of 
suffering and the glories of divine kingship, and lifted it to the highest place. 

10. That at the tiame of Jestis every knee should botv (" In the name," 
Rev. Ver.) : See Isa. 45 : 23; Rom. 14 : 11. The meaning is not, that at the mention 
of his name every knee should bow, but that the name itself should be the cause of their 

63 



Lesson VI. 



CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE. 



Phil. 2 : 5-16. 



1 1 And that every tongue should 
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 
to the glory of God the Father. 

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 
have always obeyed, not as in my 
presence onl}^, but now much more 
in my absence, work out your own 
salvation with fear and trembling. 

13 For it is God which worketh 
in you both to will and to do of his 
good pleasure. 

14 Do all things without murmur- 
ings and disputmgs : 



Christ is Lord, to the glory of 
God the Father. 

12 So then, my beloved, even as 
ye have always obeyed, not ^as 
in my presence only, but now 
much more in my absence, work 
out your own salvation with fear 

13 and trembling; for it is God 
which worketh in you both to 
will and to work, for his good 

14 pleasure. Do all things without 
murmurings and disputings ; 

15 that ye may be blameless and 
harmless, children of God with- 



Some ancient authorities omit as. 



kneeling. The bending of the knees is the sign of worship. The passage, taken by itself, 
might mean that this worship was to be rendered to God, in the name of Jesus ; but the 
purpose of the passage, which is to exalt Jesus, points conclusively to the other meaning, 
that it is to be given to Jesus himself. Of things in heaven : Of beings in heaven. 
Knees belong to beings. The heavenly beings are angels, the earthly beings men, and the 
beings of the under-world the dead. See Eph. 3 : 10; 4 : 9. This universal adoration 
belonged to Jesus by virtue of his being in the form of God; but it becomes his only by 
the exhibition of his suffering love. It is the hearts of men that worship, and the spirits 
of men that bow; and these Jesus made his own, not by majesty, but by love. And, given 
a sinful world, even angels might have withheld a perfect worship, if Jesus had withheld a 
perfect love. 

11. That Jesus Christ is JLord: This is the common title given to Jesus. See 
Eph. 4:5; Rom. 10 : 9; 2 Cor. 4 : 5 (Rev. Ver.). Here, again, the lordship belongs to 
him, but its confession is won by his unselfish love. To the glory of God the Father : 
This confession is to the glory of God, because of the relation between himself and Jesus. 
It is the acknowledgment of one who was in his image, who did his work, and whom he 
himself appointed Lord. See Heb. i: 1-3; Eph. i: 20-23; John 17: 1-6. 

12. Wherefore : In view of this example of Christ. As he denied himself to obtain 
such rewards, so they are exhorted to diligence in working out their salvation. Not as 
in my presence only : Not as if it were something to be done in his presence only, 
Sut notv mtich more in my absence : When they are without his presence and 
aid, they must be specially careful of their own salvation. Both these clauses belong to 
the exhortation, work out, etc. Worh out your oivn salvation : Carry it through, 
complete it. Their own salvation is not contrasted with one that some one else is to work 
out for them, but with the glory that Christ obtained for himself Work out your sal- 
vation, as he his exaltati'oti. With fear and trembling : Lest you may fail. Paul 
regarded their complete salvation as something belonging to the future, and dependent in 
a measure on their own exertions. See Rom, 2: 5-10 (specially verse 7); 8: 13, 23-25; 
1 Cor, 9: 22-27; Phil. 3: 12-14. 

13. For it is God tvJiicJi worheth in you : An encouragement for them to 
work strenuously for this great object. They do it under a divine impulse; there is one 
working in them, and that one is God. Soth to tvill and to do (" To work," Rev. 
Ver.) : The two sides of action — the inward purpose, and the outward fulfilment of it — 
are both wrought by God. For his good pleasure : To carry out his gracious pur- 
pose, his purpose to save us. It belongs with the verb worketh. 

14. Do all tilings tvithout mur'murings and disputings : Probably against 
God ; without murmuring against what he lays upon them, or inward debates as to its 
reasonableness. 



Lesson VIL CHRISTIAN CONTENTMENT. i'/z//. 4:4-13. 



15 That ye maybe blameless and 
harmless, the sons of God, without 
rebuke, in the midst of a crooked 
and perverse nation, among whom 
ye shine as lights in the world; 

16 Holding forth the word of life ; 
that I may rejoice in the day of 
Christ, that I have not run in vain, 
neither laboured in vain. 



out blemish in the midst of a 
crooked and perverse genera- 
tion, among whom ye are seen 
16 as ^ lights in the world, hold- 
ing forth the word of life ; that 
I may have whereof to glory in 
the day of Christ, that I did not 
run in vain neither labour in 



Gr. luminaries. 



15. That ye tnay he blameless and harmless: And guileless. They both 
denote purity; the former in the estimation of men, the latter In their character. With- 
out rebuke (" Without blemish," Rev. Ver.). ul crooked and perverse nation 

(" Generation," Rev. Ver.) : Ye shine (" Ye are seen," Rev. Ver.) 

16. Molding forth the word of life : This denotes that by virtue of v/hich they 
are lights or luminaries. They present to men, both in action and speech, the word of life, 
the essence of which is light. That I may rejoice (" May have whereof to glory," 
Rev. Ver.): This is the purpose for which he would have them blameless. He would 
have their spotless lives to show as a proof that his work was of a kind that bears fruit. 



LESSON VIL 

CHRISTIAN CONTENTMEINT. — PMl. 4:4-13. 

A GENERAL VIEW. —The Apostle Paul has been regarded rightfully as the ex- 
pounder of Christian doctrine. No one has explored more deeply the difficulties and mys- 
teries of the truth, nor presented more clearly Its meanings and connections, than the 
apostle of the Gentiles. But he is also the apostle of the Christian life. He sees the 
meaning of the Christ not only in the realm of truth, but also in the life of man. Being 
himself a true man, built on a large pattern, earnest and Intense in whatever he undertook, 
he knew sympathetically, he understood the like-minded Christ, whom yet he knew that he 
followed afar off. It Is a rare privilege to know what life seemed to a man like Paul, as 
interpreted by the man Christ Jesus. What a picture he draws for us here, of a joyful, 
gentle life, free from care, and full of an unspeakable peace; mindful of truth, honor, right, 
purity, and whatever brings beauty and good report to men ; in which there blooms the 
flower of an unselfish care for others, and which Is yet not dependent on others, but suffi- 
cient unto Itself, having learned the secret how to live In both abundance and want; and 
which finally sees all the possibilities of life opened to It through the Christ. And yet this 
is largely an unconscious, and certainly a spontaneous beauty. For Paul was not drawing 
a picture : he was simply exhorting the Phlllpplan Christians to do their duty, and thanking 
them for their generosity. 



4 Rejoice in the Lord alway : and 
again I say. Rejoice. 



4 ^ Rejoice in the Lord alway : 

5 again I will say, '^ Rejoice. Let 



^ Or, Farewell. 



NOTES. — 4. JRejoice in the Xord alway : In the Lord does not denote the 
object of their rejoicing, as when he says. Trust in the Lord, Have faith iji him ; but It 
denotes that this, like every thing else In their lives. Is to get Its character from their vital 
union with the Lord. It is to be a Christian joy (see 2 : 29 ; i : 8) . Again I will say 
(Rev. Ver.) : It will bear repeating. 

65 



Lesson VII. 



CHRISTIAN CONTENTMENT. /'/z//. 4 : 4-13. 



5 Let your moderation be known 
unto all men. The Torcl is at hand. 

6 Be careful for nothing ; but in 
every thing by prayer and supplica- 
tion with thanksgiving let your re- 
quests be made known unto God. 

7 And the peace of God, which 
passeth all understanding, shall keep 
your hearts and minds through 
Christ Jesus. 

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever 
things are true, whatsoever things 
are honest, whatsoever things are 
just, whatsoever things are pure, 
whatsoever things are lovely, what- 
soever things are of good report ; if 
there be any virtue, and if there be 
any praise, think on these things. 



your ^ forbearance be known 
unto all men. The Lord is at 
hand. In nothing be anxious ; 
but in every thing by prayer and 
supplication with thanksgiving let 
your requests be made known 
unto God. And the peace of 
God, which passeth all under- 
standing, shall guard your hearts 
and your thoughts in Christ 
Jesus. 

Finally, brethren, whatsoever 
things are true, whatsoever 
things are ^ honourable, whatso- 
ever things are just, whatsoever 
things are pure, whatsoever 
things are lovely, whatsoever 
things are ^ of good report ; if 



Or, gentleness. ^ Gr. reverend. 3 Or, gracious. 



5. Iiet your moderation he Jcnown unto all men (" Forbearance," Rev, 
Ver.) : It is the opposite of harshness and strictness in judgment, and of contentiousness, 
considering not only the wrong done, but the alleviating circumstances. Ctemency or 
^(?«2f/^«^j^ perhaps expresses the idea. (See i Tim. 3: 3; Tit. 3: 2; Jas. 3: 17; i Pet. 
2: 18, in all of which the Revised Version translates the adjective, gentle.') The JLord is 
at hand : This is an expression of the expectation, common to all the New-Testament 
writers, that the coming of the Lord was near (see i Cor. 8: 20, sg. ; i Thess. 4: 15-17; 
2 Thess. 2: 1-12 (Rev. Ver.) Jas. 5: 7, 9; Rev. 22: 7, 20.) It is used here to enforce 
these practical injunctions, as being the Lord's commands. 

6. JBe careful for notJiiug : Care comes from doubt Men not only do their work 
in the world, but they are anxious about its results : they are troubled lest things should 
not go right. This doubting care Paul forbids. With tJianJcsgiviag : This is put in 
because prayer itself may be anxious and querulous, and he would have it glad and thank- 
ful. It is to be no attempt to make God gracious, but a thankful recognition that he is 
gracious. Xe< your requests he made hnoien tinto God: Instead of anxiety, 
there is to be prayer, a committing of all cares to God. 

7. The peace of God : The peace that comes from him, that he bestows; the rest and 
quietness that are opposed to the anxiety deprecated by Paul. Which ^iasseth all 
understanding : Which surpasseth every intelligence. It may mean, as our version 
renders it, that it is beyond conception ; but it seems more apposite to make it denote the 
superiority of this peace over the mind of man, as having a power that this does not have 
to raise above cares and troubles. This introduces the idea that the heart is guarded by a 
stronger power. Shall heep (" Shall guard," Rev. Ver.) : It is a divine sentinel, guard- 
ing the soul against all evil and disturbing influences. Your hearts and minds 
through Christ Jesus (*' And your thoughts in Christ Jesus," Rev. Ver.) : The heart, 
which in the Mew Testament is the whole inner man, and the thoughts coming from it. 
In Christ Jesns denotes that in which this peace of God lives, and does its work. It is in 
Jesus that the revelation of God as a being to be utterly trusted reaches men. 

8. Whatsoever things are honest (" Honorable," Rev. Ver.) : In the margin the 
revisers give reverend as the meaning of the Greek word. It is applied to the gods as 
revered by men, to men who for any reason are objects of reverence, and to things that are 
worthy of reverence. Noble is the best rendering of the spirit of the word, tlust : Right. 
The word has both meanings, but it is in favor of the broader meaning, that the apostle is 
here enumerating not special virtues, but different aspects of virtue, — its conformity to truth, 

66 



Lessofi VII. 



CHRISTIAN CONTENTMENT. /%//. 4:4-13. 



9 Those things, which ye have 
both learned, and received, and 
heard, and seen in me, do : and the 
God of peace shall be with you. 

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord 
greatly, that now at the last your 
care of me hath flourished again ; 
wherein ye were also careful, but ye 
lacked opportunity. 

11 Not that I speak in respect of 
want: for I have learned, in what- 
soever state I am, therewith to be 
content. 

12 I know both how to be abased, 
and I know how to abound : every- 



there be any virtue, and if there 
be any praise, ^ think on these 
9 things. The things which ye 
both learned and received and 
heard and saw in me, these things 
do : and the God of peace shall 
be with you. 

10 But I ^ rejoice in the Lord 
greatly, that now at length ye 
have revived your thought for 
me ; ^ wherein ye did indeed take 
thought, but ye lacked opportu- 

11 nity. Not that I speak in re- 
spect of want : for I have learned, 
in whatsoever state I am, therein 

12 to be content. I know how to 



^ Gr. take account of. 2 Gr. rejoiced. 3 Or, seeing that. 



its nobility, its purity, and here its righteousness. Fiire : Not simply chaste, but free 
from any stain. IiOvely : The things that men love. The attractiveness of virtue is a 
distinctively Christian idea. Of good report : This meaning seems doubtful. Things 
that sound well in the ears, that seem to be of good omen, and to bring good fortune, are 
meant more probably. If there be any virtue, and if there be any i^raise : This 
is not an injunction in the name of virtue and praise to consider these things; but he sums 
up all these virtues, and any others, in this clause, which means, Whatever virttte, and 
ivhatever praise belonging to virtue, there is. TJiinh on these things : He wishes 
them to practise these things, but to come to the practice through reflection on their excel- 
lence. 

9. Those things which ye have both learned: The things also which ye 
learned. He wishes to approach this lesson from another side; and, in order that they may 
understand definitely what things he means, he tells them to do what they have learned 
from his teaching and example. And received : In the sense of accepted (see John 
1: 11; I Cor. 15: i). A.nd heard, and seen in me, do ("And saw in me, these 
things do," Rev. Ver.) : These last two verbs relate to the apostle's example, and in its two 
parts, of speech and action. The apparent egotism of such an appeal is lessened greatly by 
the fact that Christianity introduced a new and revolutionary ethics, based on love, mak- 
ing instruction, at first, even more necessary than appeal, and that for this purpose example 
is necessary, and the use of it in instruction. And the God of peace shall be tvitli 
you : This is substantially the same promise as in verse 7. There it is promised as the 
result of trust, and here of virtuous action. It is the pure in heart who see God. 

10. Jitit J rejoiced in the Lord greatly : In the Lord means the same as in 
verse 4. J^O'W at the last (" Now at length," Rev. Ver.) Your care of me 
hath flourished again : You flourished again to care for my interest: since you did 
indeed care, but were not prospered. He does not intimate that they had ever ceased to 
think of his interest, but that they had not been in condition to do any thing about it. He 
was glad that they flourished, or prospered, again sufificiendy to care for his interest; know- 
ing, as he did, that their previous failure had been owing to lack of prosperity, and not of 
thought. 

11. Not that I speak in respect of want : Because of want, as if his great joy 
had been on account of the need which their gift supplied. To be content : Self-sufficing, 
not dependent on others. He has that within himself which makes him independent of 
external aid. This is far more apposite than the idea of mere contentment. 

12. I know both hoiv to be abased, and I Jcnotv how to abound : To be 
be brought low — not in spirit, but in outward condition — by poverty, need, and the like. 

67 



Lesson VIII. 



THE FAITHFUL SAYING. i 7}>w. i : 15-2:6. 



where and in all things I am in- 
structed both to be full and to be 
hungry, both to abound and to suf- 
fer need. 

13 I can do all things through 
Christ which strengtheneth me. 



be abased, and I know also how 
to abound: in every thing and in 
all things have I learned the 
secret both to be filled and to be 
hungry, both to abound and to 
be in want. I can do all things 
in him that strengtheneth me. 



Alike abundance and poverty, he is sufficient for. He has learned the art of both, so that 
he is not depressed by one, nor puffed up by the other. Everytvhere and in all 
things (" In every thing and in all things," Rev. Ver.) : It is simply a strong state- 
ment, in which the second part adds very little to the first, except by essential repetition. 
X am instructed (" Have I learned the secret," Rev. Ver.): Been initiated into the 
mysteries of. 

13. I can do all things through Christ tvhicJi strengtJienetJi me ("In 
him that," Rev. Ver.) : Here he sums up what he has been saying, and shows the secret of 
his independence of outward things. He has learned the secret of poverty and riches, but 
not only this, — he has strength for any thing; and the secret of this strength is his imion with 
Christ, who gives him power. 



LESSON VIII. 

THE FAITHFUL SAYING. — 1 Tim. 1:15-2:6. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — Criticism has been busy with the Pastoral Epistles, as the 
letters to Timothy and Titus are called; and it has succeeded in establishing some valid 
objections to their Pauline authorship. It is not necessary for us to discuss these questions. 
We can assume, in company with most scholars, that they are genuine productions; and, 
if they are, then we are led to interesting conclusions. In the first place, their evidence is 
conclusive that Paul was released from his first imprisonment, and went to Ephesus, Troas, 
Miletus, Macedonia, and Crete, resuming his apostolic work, and paying special attention 
to the organization and settlement of these churches, preparatory^ to his final departure from 
them. Secondly, it appears that, after some years, he was imprisoned in Rome a second 
time, and was finally beheaded, — tradition says in A.D. 68. This first Epistle to Timothy, 
and the Epistle to Titus, were written probably during the period between his first and sec- 
ond imprisonment. Timothy, to whom this letter was written, was the constant attendant 
and helper of the apostle from the beginning of the second missionary journey. He was 
assigned by the apostle to detached service in Beroea (Acts 17: 14, sg^. ; Thessalonica, i 
Thess. 3:2; Corinth, i Cor. 4: 17; 16: 10; and Ephesus, i Tim. 1:3). The rest of the time 
he was probably in Paul's company. The first epistle was written with two objects. Paul 
had left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus: and his first object in this letter was 
to re-enforce the directions that he had given him in regard to the false teachers who were 
undermining the faith of the church ; and his second purpose was to instruct him in re- 
gard to the character and qualifications of those who held office in the church, and the 
conduct of the service at the meetings of the church. Our lesson begins in the midst of a 
contrast between the false teachings alluded to and the glorious gospel, and ends with an 
exhortation in regard to the prayers to be made in the assemblies of the church. 

15 This is a faithful saying, and 
worthy of all acceptation, that 
Christ Jesus came into the world to 
save sinners; of whom I am chief. 



15 Faithful is the saying, and worthy 
of all acceptation, that Christ 
Jesus came into the world to 
save sinners ; of whom I am 



NOTES. — 15. Paul has been speaking of love as the end of the commandment of the 
gospel, and of the insistence on the Mosaic law which characterized the false teachers in 

68 



Lesson VIII. 



THE FAITHFUL SAYING. i Tim. 



5-2:6. 



1 6 Howbeit for this cause I ob- 
tained mercy, that in me first Jesus 
Christ might shew forth all longsuf- 
fering, for a pattern to them which 
should hereafter believe on him to 
life everlasting. 

17 Now unto the King eternal, 
immortal, invisible, the only wise 
God, be honour and glory for ever and 
ever. Amen. 

18 This charge I commit unto 
thee, son Timothy, according to the 
prophecies which went before on 
thee, that thou by them mightest 
war a good warfare ; 



16 chief: howbeit for this cause I 
obtained mercy, that in me as 
chief might Jesus Christ shew 
forth all his longsuffering, for an 
ensample of them which should 
hereafter believe on him unto 

17 eternal life. Now unto the King 
^ eternal, incorruptible, invisible, 
the only God, be honour and glory 
^for ever and ever. Amen. 

18 This charge I commit unto thee, 
my child Timothy, according to 
the prophecies which ^went be- 
fore on thee, that by them thou 
mayest war the good warfare; 



^ Gr. of the ages. 2 Gr. tiiito the ages of the ages. 3 Or, led the way to thee. 

Ephesus in distinction from this law of love ; and so he is led to speak of his own experi- 
ence of the gospel, and of its power to secure forgiveness and faith and love. It is in this 
last section that we begin. Faithful is the saying (Rev. Ver.) : That is, worthy of 
belief A.nd xvortJiy of all acceptation : The acceptance here is substantially the 
same as the belief implied in the preceding ; but the addition to the thought is in the word 
all. The belief that it is worthy to receive is full and unhesitating. That Christ 
Jesus came into the ti'orld to save sinners : The emphasis is on the saving of 
sinners. This is the lesson that Paul's experience had taught him, in opposition to all self- 
righteousness, that the work of Jesus was a saving work, a work of grace, and implied the 
sinfulness of men. Of ivlioni I am chief : It had saved him, the chief of sinners, and 
hence no sinner need fear. But probably Paul's thought did not stop here. He was think- 
ing of the result of his endeavor to be self-righteous, that it had left him the chief of sinners. 

16. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy : He has spoken before (verse 13) 
of the extenuating circumstance of his ignorance, as a reason of his obtaining mercy. Now 
he speaks of the purpose that God had in view in his particular case. Howbeit : In spite 
of the fact that he was the chief of sinners. That in me first tTesus Christ might 
shew forth all longsuffeinng ("all his longsufiering," Rev. Ver.): It was not 
merely as an individual sinner that God had mercy on him, but as a type of what his grace 
could do, the first in whom God had been called on to display all his patience. The em- 
phasis comes on the word all. For a pattern to them (" For an ensample of them," 
Rev. Ver.) : He was to be a type of believers; since in him first all the patience of the 
Christ was shown, leaving none of it to conjecture, or to be filled out from some later expe- 
rience. Longsuffering : The patience that forbears to follow up sin with an immedi- 
ate judgment, and gives time for repentance. 

17. Unto the King eternal (" King of the ages," Rev. Ver., margin) : Probably the 
meaning eternal belongs only to the phrases forever, and from the beginning, in which 
this word occurs. The ages are those of the world's history. Immortal (" Incorrupti- 
ble," Rev. Ver.) : The impossibility of decay in God is meant. The only vvise God : 
Omit wise (Rev. Ver.) Be honour and glory for ever : The doxology is called 
forth by the description of the divine grace. 

18. This charge I commit unto thee ; viz.. That thou war the good warfare. 
The latter clause denotes the charge itself, and not the purpose of it. A.ccording to the 
pro-phecies which went before on thee : Concerning thee. These prophecies are 
represented as preceding his official career. They were divine intimations, given through 
some inspired man, of his fitness for his office. Tiy them : In them. Within the lines 
marked out by these prophecies. The good warfare : Paul uses this term not only of 
Timothy's personal strife against sin, but of his strife as a Christian leader against error. 

69 



Lesson VIII. 



THE FAITHFUL SAYING. i 7}>;z. i : 15-2 :6. 



19 Holding faith, and a good con- 
science ; which some having put away 
concerning faith have made ship- 
wreck : 

20 Of whom is Hymenseus and 
Alexander ; whom I have delivered 
unto Satan, that they may learn not 
to blaspheme. 

1 I exhort therefore, that, first of 
all, supplications, pra3-ers, interces- 
sions, and giving of thanks, be made 
for all men ; 

2 For kings, a.nd for all that are 
in authority; that we may lead a 
quiet and peaceable life in all godli- 
ness and honesty. 

3 For this /s good and acceptable 
in the sight of God our Saviour ; 

4 Who will have all men to be 
saved, and to come unto the knowl- 
edge of the truth. 



19 holding faith and a good con- 
science ; which some having 
thrust from them made ship- 

20 wreck concerning the faith : of 
whom is Hymenaeus and Alex- 
ander; whom I delivered unto 
Satan, that they might be taught 
not to blaspheme. 

1 I exhort therefore, first of all, 
^that supplications, prayers, in- 
tercessions, thanksgivings, be 

2 made for ail men ; for kmgs and 
all that are in high place; that 
we may lead a tranquil and quiet 
life in all godliness and gravity. 

3 This is good and acceptable in 
the sight of God our Saviour; 

4 who willeth that all men should 
be saved, and come to the 

5 knowledge of the truth. For 
there is one God, one mediator 



^ Gr. fo make supplications, etc. 



19. Holding faith , and a good conscience : This keeping in possession faith and 
a good conscience is given as the manner in which he is to war the good warfare. Faith is 
his behef in Christ, which is the condition of all Christian warfare, its inspiration; and a 
good conscience is that consciousness of rectitude which is the fruit of faith, without which 
a man's profession and defence of the truth are powerless. The emphasis of a good con- 
science in connection with faith is characteristic of this epistle. Which some having 
put atvay (" Having thrust from them," Rev. Ver.) : They not merely lost it, but reck- 
lessly thrust it away. Made shipwreck concerning the faith (Rev. Ver.) : In the matter 
of faith. If a man does not apply his faith to his conduct, so as to secure rectitude in that, 
he makes shipwreck of his faith. 

20. Sytnencexis and Alexander : The former is probably the same as in 2 Tim. 2: 
17. Whether Alexander is the same mentioned in 2 Tim. 4 ; 14, we cannot tell. I de- 
livered unto Satan : Turned them out of the church into the world ruled by Satan (see 
1 Cor. 5:5). Their unbelief resulted in blasphemy. 

2: I. I exhort therefore, first of all : His general exhortation is, that Timothy war the 
good warfare; that is, fulfil his office in charge of the church. Coming now to particulars 
under that, his first exhortation in regard to the conduct of the church service is that 
prayers be oflfered for all men. The first three words for prayers are simply general desig- 
nations of the act. Thanksgivings denotes, of course, a distinctive part of prayer. For 
all men : This belongs to all the preceding words, not simply to thanksgivings. 

2. Tor kings, and for all that are in aathoritrj (" In high place," Rev. Ver.). 
That tve may lead a qttiet and peaceable life : This is the reason why kings are 
to be prayed for specially, — that through their rule the lawless and disturbing elements of 
society may be repressed, and men may enjoy a quiet life. In all godliness and 
lionesty : And dignity. The first denotes the religious life, the worshipping life. The 
second is the life worthy of honor (see on Phil. 4: 8, under the word honest, Lesson VII.). 
This is a subordinate idea, the emphasis being on the idea of quietness. That we may 
lead our religious and worthy life in quietness, is the meaning. 

3. For this is good and accejttable in the sight of God our Saviour : Omit 
for CRev. Ver.) : This refers to the prayer for all men. God is designated here as our 
Saviour, since it is in this character that the prayer for all men is pleasing to him. 

4. Who will have all men to he saved : Who desireth all men to be saved. This 

70 



Lesson IX. PAUL'S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY. 2 7>>«. 3: 14-4:8. 



5 For there is one God, and one 
mediator between God and men, the 

man Christ Jesus ; 

6 Who gave himself a ransom for 
all, to be testified in due time. 



also between God and men, him- 
6 selfm^Ln, Christ Jesus, who gave 
himself a ransom for all ; the 
testimony to be borne in its own 
times. 



desire of God is hindered by the unbelief of men (see i Tim. 4: 10"). This desire of God 
for the salvation of all men makes prayer for all men acceptable. 

5. For there is one God : This unity of God, the fact that there is one God of all 
men, confirms the preceding statement that God desires all men to be saved. A desire 
that only some should be saved would argue a difference, an incredible distinction, in the 
Godhead. He would be one thing to some men, and another to others. One mediator 
between God and. men : One who comes from God to men, and forms the medium of 
communication be'cween them, as Moses in the matter of the law (Gal. 3: 19). The man 
(" Himself man," Rev. Ver.) . The humanity of Jesus is the ground of his mediatorship, 
removing, as it did, the difficulty of communication between God and man. This one 
Mediator removes still farther the possibility of a distinction among men in God's thought. 

6. Who gave himself a ransom for all : Here is further testimony to God's 
desire to save all, — that the Mediator gave himself as a ransom for all. Men were in cap- 
tivity to sin, and the price paid for their ransom was what Christ suffered. He gave him- 
self in sacrifice for their redemption. To he testified in due time : Literally, this 
means the testimo7iy to its 02vn times ; and the explanation is to be gathered from that. 
Christ's giving himself a ransom for all is God's witness to his desire for men, and shows 
conclusively that the desire was to save them all. This testimony was reserved for its own 
time (see 2 Tim. i: 10; Tit. 1:3). 



LESSON IX. 

PAUL'S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY. — 2 Tim. 3 : 14-4 : 8. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — This Episde was written, as appears from 4 : 6-8, shordy 
before the apostle's final trial, which resulted in his execution ; that is, about the year 
67 A.D. The immediate occasion of the letter is his desire to see Timothy, whom he ex- 
horts to come to him speedily; and, at the same time, he makes it a farewell letter of in- 
structions, in view of his own departure, and of the alarming increase of errors and evils in 
the church at Ephesus. Our lesson begins with an exhortation to Timothy to abide in the 
teachings of his youth, in contrast with the departures of the false teachers, and in imitation 
of the steadfastness of Paul ; and then follows an exhortation to teach these things un- 
ceasingly and unflinchingly, in view of the evil time coming. 



14 But continue thou in the 
things which thou hast learned and 
hast been assured of, knowing of 
whom thou hast learned them ; 



14 But abide thou in the things 
which thou hast learned and 
hast been assured of, knowing 
of ^whom thou hast learned 



Gr. what Persons. 



NOTES. — 14. But abide thotc (Rev. Ver.) : In contrast with the progress in evil of 
the false teachers (verse 13). And hast been assured of: Adds to the idea oi learn- 
ing the conviction of the truth of what is learned. Knowing oftvhom thou hast 
learned them : This is given as a reason why he should abide in them. Whom, is 
plural ; and the persons meant are probably his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois, 
since the instruction began in his infancy (see i : 5; 3: 15). 

71 



Lesson IX. PAUL'S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY. 2 7}>z. 3 : 14-4:8. 



15 And that from a child thou 
hast known the holy scriptures, 
which are able to make thee wise 
unto salvation through faith which 
is in Christ Jesus. 

16 All scripture is given by in- 
spiration of God, and is profitable 
for doctrine, for reproof, for cor- 
rection, for instruction in righteous- 
ness : 

17 That the man of God may be 
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto 
all good works. 

1 I charge thee therefore before 
God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, 
who shall judge the quick and the 
dead at his appearing and his king- 
dom ; 

2 Preach the word ; be instant in 
season, out of season ; reprove, re- 



15 them; and that from a babe 
thou hast known the sacred writ- 
ings which are able to make 
thee wise unto salvation through 
faith which is in Christ Jesus. 

16 ^ Every scripture inspired of God 
is also profitable for teaching, 
for reproof, for correction, for 
^ instruction which is in right- 

17 eousness : that the man of God 
may be complete, furnished com- 
pletely unto every good work. 

1 ^ I charge thee in the sight of 
God, and of Christ Jesus, who 
shall judge the quick and the 
dead, and by his appearing 

2 and his kingdom ; preach the 
word; be instant in season, out 
of season; '^reprove, rebuke, 
exhort, with all longsuffering 



^ Or, Every scripture is inspired of God, arid profitable. ^ Or, discipline. 3 Or, / 
testify, in the sight . . . dead, both of his appearing^ etc. ^ Or, bring to the proof . 

15. A.nd that from a child (" from a babe," Rev. Ver.). TJioti Jiast knotvn 
the holy scriptures : Thou knowest the sacred writings. Generally, the Scriptures 
are described as holy, with reference to the character of their teachings; but here as sacred, 
distinguished from secular and common writings. Wise nnto salvation throttgh 
faith which is in Christ tfesns : Omit which is. The Scriptures give the knowl- 
edge and wisdom necessary to salvation, but this result is contingent on their faith in Jesus. 

16. All scrijiture is given hy insi)iration of God, and is profitable 
(" Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable," Rev. Ver.) : Grammatically, both 
interpretations are equally good, but the connection of thought rather favors the transla- 
tion of the revisers, since the attention is directed to the practical uses of the Scriptures; 
and it is probable that the inspiration would be assumed as a ground of this, rather than 
stated as a co-ordinate fact. The Scriptures are made up of separate writings, and every 
scripture refers to these. The word for inspired of God described the Scriptures as 
breathed upon by God, filled with a divine afflatus. The mere proceeding from God is not 
the idea, but the possession of an inspiration coming from him. Doctrine (" teaching," 
Rev. Ver.) : The act, and not the thing taught, is denoted. Tor correction : Not in 
the sense of chastisement, but of reformation. For instruction: For training. 

17. TJiC man of God : Is not here the religious teacher, as the whole statement is 
in regard to the general use of scripture to make wise unto salvation. Thoroughly 
furnished unto all good tvorlis (" every good work," Rev. Ver.): The words 
perfect and thoroughly furtiished mean ready and 77iade completely ready, with, of 
course, the idea of completeness or perfectness implied. The verse denotes the purpose 
of these uses of Scripture. 

1. I cliarge thee therefore: Omit therefore (Rev. Ver.). And the Ziord 
Jesus Christ : And Christ Jesus. WJio shall jtidge the quick and the dead : 
Who is to judge the living and the dead. This is inserted in order to bring the judgment 
before Timothy as an incitement to fulfil the charge. By the living ajui the dead, he 
meaiis those already departed, and those left alive at that time. At his ajfpearing 
and Jiis kingdom ("and by his appearing and his kingdom," Rev. Ver.): It is that 
by which he adjures him. The two things are connected, but distinct, — by his appearing, 
and the kingdom that he will then establish. 

2. I'reach the word : Of God. Not the written word, since the gospel was not yet 

72 



Lesson IX. PAUL'S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY. 2 Tim. y.\\-\'.Z. 



buke, exhort with all longsuffering 
and doctrine. 

3 For the time will come when 
they will not endure somid doctrine ; 
but after their own lusts shall they 
heap to themselves teachers, having 
itching ears ; 

4 And they shall turn away their 
ears from the truth, and shall be 
turned unto fables. 

5 But watch thou in all things, 
endure afiflictions, do the work of 
an evangelist, make full proof of 
thy ministry. 



3 and teaching. For the time will 
come when they will not endure 
the '^ sound ^ doctrine ; but, hav- 
ing itching ears, will heap to 
themselves teachers after their 

4 own lusts; and will turn away 
their ears from the truth, and 

5 turn aside unto fables. But be 
thou sober in all things, suffer 
hardship, do the work of an 
evangelist, fulfil thy ministry. 

6 For I am already being ^ offered, 
and the time of my departure is 

7 come. I have fought the good 



» Gr. healthful. 2 Or, teaching. 3 Gr. poured out as a dri^ik-offering. 



current in writing, but the gospel preached by Paul and others. The word iox preaching 
here means to proclaim as a herald. He instant : Or urgent. In season, out 
of season : Not waiting for an opportunity, but at all times. Meprove, rebuke, 

exhort : The various ways in which the word that he preaches is to be appHed to indi- 
viduals. Reprove and rebuke are different sides of the same thing. The former denotes 
the act of convicting, of showing another to be in the wrong; the latter adds the idea of 
displeasure. With all longsuffering and teaching (Rev. Ver.) : Literally, In all, 
denoting- the element in which, and not the means or accompaniment with which, the act 
is performed. These two things are very important modifiers of the thought. While the 
reproof was to be urgent, it was to be administered in all patience; and while reproof and 
exhortation were to be the objects, it was to be done not in the way of mere impression and 
appeal, but of instruction. The whole thing was to be bathed in an atmosphere of patience 
and instruction. 

3. For the time will come : Reason for this urgency. The time meant is the last 
times, which the apostle thinks to be imminent (see chapter 3: i s^^. ; i Tim. 4: i sgq. ; 
and compare 3: 5-9). Sotmd doctrine: Healthful teaching which has nothing im- 
pure or sickly about it. But, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers 
after their ozvti hists (Rev. Ver.) : By itching ears are meant ears that itch for pleas- 
ant things to tickle them. The emphasis is on after their own lusts, which stands op- 
posed to a teaching according to God's will. Ihey want teachers to please them, instead 
of those that teach a wholesome, if exacting, doctrine. Will heap to themselves : 
A strong word, denoting them as gathering a crowd of such teachers about them. 

4. And ttirn aside ufito fables (Rev. Ver.). (See i Tim. 4: 7; 2 Tim. 4:4; Tit. i : 14.) 
The fables, or myths, referred to are probably the beginnings of Gnostic speculations in 
regard to the origins of things. This was the special form of error that the apostle saw 
looming up in his Asiatic churches, 

5. Htit watch thou ("be thou sober," Rev. Ver.) : Do not be intoxicated by these 
things, but keep your head clear. Endure afflictions {" suffer hardship," Rev. Ver) : 
That is, the hardship attendant on his steadfastness; not giving way to this current of 
things in the church (see chapters 1:8; 2: 3; 3: 12). Of an evangelist : One who 
went about among the churches preaching the gospel, and so distinguished from a pastor 
or elder or other officer of a local church. Timothy had the charge of the church at 
Ephesus just at this time, but his regular work was that of an evangelist. MaTte full 
proof of thy ministry (" fulfil thy ministry," Rev. Ver.) : Ministry is here the 
technical word for the office of a deacon; but its more common meaning is service, and 
it seems evident that this is the sense intended here, as Timothy's work was not that of a 
local church officer. It is not confined even to his evangelistic work, but includes his whole 
service of Jesus. 

73 



Lesson IX. PAUL'S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY. 2 7>w. 3 : 14-4:8. 



6 For I am now ready to be of- 
fered, and the time of my departm-e 
is at hand. 

7 I have fought a good fight, I 
have finished 7)iy course, I have 
kept the faith : 

8 Henceforth there is laid up for 
me a crown of righteousness, which 
the Lord, the righteous judge, shall 
give me at that day : and not to me 
only, but unto all them also that 
love his appearing. 



fight, I have finished the course, 
I have kept the faith : hence- 
forth there is laid up for me the 
crown of righteousness, which 
the Lord, the righteous judge, 
shall give to me at that day; 
and not only to me, but also to 
all them that have loved his 
appearing. 



6. Tor I am now ready to be offered : For I am already being poured out; viz., 
as a drink-offering. It may be mere fancy that causes the apostle to choose this instead of 
the more ordinary word for sacrifice. But as the drink-offering, forming a part of the meat- 
offering, usually followed the burnt-offering, it may be chosen as indicating that the apos- 
tle's death made the close of a life of sacrifice; as if he said, " I am now poured out, and so 
the sacrifice ends." The present tense is used to denote in a strong way the imminence 
of the event, — the beginning of the end has come. The time of my departure is at 
hand (" is come," Rev. Ver.) : Here the same remarks on the use of the tense apply. 

7. I have fought a good fight (" the good fight," Rev. Ver.) : Both the verb and 
the noun are used of the contests in the public games, such as wrestling, boxing, gladiatorial 
conflicts, and the like. The severity and strenuousness of these made them fit representa- 
tions of the conflict of the Christian with sin. I have finished my course : I have 
finished the race. Here again the reference is to the foot-races, which formed an impor- 
tant part of the games (see Phil. 3: 13, 14). It represents the Christian life as having a 
goal and a prize. I have liept the faith : The figures are dropped now, and the 
result of these conflicts is literally stated. He has guarded his faith in Christ against all 
attacks. 

8. The crown of righteousness (Rev. Ver.) : The figure of the games is kept up still, 
the reference being to the wreaths with which the victors were crowned. Whether the 
righteousness is that for which the crown is bestowed, or the crown itself, cannot be deter- 
mined by the language ; but it is more consonant with Paul's thought, to take the right- 
eousness as the ground of the award, and eternal life as the prize awarded (see Rom. 2: 
6-10). The Lord: Jesus, as appears from the reference to his coming, and from the 
general New-Testament representation of him as the Judge. The righteous Judge : 
The one therefore who will not bestow the prize on the unrighteous, nor withhold it from 
the righteous. That love his appearing ("have loved," Rev. Ver."): The appear- 
ance meant is the second coming, as appears from the context (see also veise i). This 
coming of the Lord is that on which the early Christians set their affections. 

74 



Lesson X. GOD'S MESSAGE BY HIS SON. Heb.wi-Z; 2:1-4. 

LESSON X. 

GOD'S MESSAGE BY HIS SON. — Heb. 1:1-8; 2:1-4. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — In the first place, it is as certain as any question of 
authorship can be made, that Paul is not the author of this epistle. Every thing, except an 
unsupported tradition, is against it. On the other hand, while it is not at all certain, it is 
the most reasonable hypothesis, that Apollos did write it. It is an epistle addressed to 
Jews in some unknown place, vindicating the superiority of the new covenant over the 
old, in order to prevent their relapse into Judaism. Inasmuch as it was the boast of the 
Jews, that the law was given through angels, the author establishes, first, the superiority 
of Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, over them. Then, following out the same 
general idea, he shows his superiority to Moses, to Joshua, and to Aaron. This brings 
him to the high-priestly office of Jesus ; and he shows that he is a royal and eternal priest, 
after the order of Melchizedek, having in his person, in the fact that he ministers in a 
heavenly sanctuary, and in the sacrifice that he offers, a threefold superiority to theLevitical 
priesthood. Then he shows that faith was the inspiring principle of the lives of saints 
under the old covenant, the same as under the new covenant; but that they did not receive 
the promises in which they placed their faith, that being reserved for the saints under the 
new covenant. And yet they endured persecutions; and he incites those who occupy the 
surer ground of the new covenant not to faint under them (chapter ii: 12). The last 
chapter contains practical conclusions. Our lesson belongs to the first part, in which the 
author compares Christ to the angels. 



1 God, who at sundry times and 
in divers manners spake in time 
past unto the fathers by the proph- 
ets, 

2 Hath in these last days spoken 
unto us by his Son, whom he hath 
appointed heir of all things, by 
whom also he made the worlds ; 



1 God, having of old time spoken 
unto the fathers in the prophets 
by divers portions and in divers 

2 manners, hath at the end of these 
days spoken unto us in ^ his Son, 
whom he appointed heir of all 
things, through whom also he 

3 made the ^ worlds ; who being 



^ Gr. a Son. ^ Gr. ages. 



NOTES. — I. God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets in 
many parts and in many ways : So, substantially, the Revised Version. The time 
denoted is not only past time, but ancient time — long past. The prophetic line closed 
with Malachi, 400 B.C.; and while the revelation did come at different times, that is not 
the statement, but that it was divided into many parts. The many ways are the different 
forms of communication, such as dreams, visions, inward enlightenment, and direct speech. 
In the prophets : Since it was the Spirit dwelling in them that spoke. This is part of 
the contrast between the old and new covenants, — that the former was not one complete 
revelation, but made up of a number of incomplete parts; the successive revelations being 
necessary on account of this incompleteness. 

2. In these last days (" At the end of these days," Rev. Ver.) : The expression arises 
from the view of the Messianic /^rz"i3^, as the closing period of the present state of things, 
and of the near approach of the final era, to be inaugurated at the second coming of our 
Lord. Sy his Son (" In a Son," Rev. Ver., margin) : The absence of the article or 
possessive in the Greek, brings out more fully this fact of sonship as a characteristic mark, 
over against the more prophetic character of those who have before spoken. What God 
says through a Son, he can say to better advantage than what he says through a mere 
prophet. The completeness of the utterance depends on f;he person through whom it is 

7S 



Lesson X. GOD'S MESSAGE BY HIS SON. Heb.\'.\-Z\ 2:1-4. 



3 "Who being the brightness of 
his glory, and the express image of 
his person, and upholding all things 
by the word of his power, when he 
had by himself purged our sins, 
sat down on the right hand of the 
Majesty on high ; 

4 Being made so much better than 
the angels, as he hath by inheritance 
obtained a more excellent name than 
they. 

5 For unto which of the angels 
said he at any time, Thou art my 
Son, this day have I begotten thee } 
And again, I will be to him a Father, 
and he shall be to me a Son ? 



the effulgence of his glory, and 
^ the very image of his substance, 
and upholding all things by the 
word of his power, when he had 
made purification of sins, sat 
down on the right hand of the 
Majesty on high ; having become 
by so much better than the an- 
gels, as he hath inherited a more 
excellent name than they. For 
unto which of the angels said he 
at any time. 

Thou art my Son, 

This day have 1 begotten thee ? 
and again, 

I will be to him a Father, 



Or, the impress of his substance. 



made. WJiom he hath appointed heir of all things : This was a position 
belonging to the Son, not merely from his Messianic office, but from his pre-Messianic 
sonship. He appears here as the one through whom God creates and sustains all things. 
Moreover, it is an inheritance acquired by him as the Son of God, and received by him 
from God. Through whoj)i also he jnade the worlds : This is the relation of the Son 
to creation, according to all the New-Testament writers. See John i : 3, lo (Rev. Ver. 
margin, and renderings of the American revisers) ; Col. i: 16 (Rev. Ver.). 

3. The brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person 
(" Effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance," Rev. Ver.) : The idea of 
the first expression is, that Christ is the one in whom the divine glory shines forth — is 
manifested. The expression, image of his substance, means that the stamp or impress 
of the divine Being is on him ; so that he bears his likeness, as the die leaves its impression 
on a coin. The word for substance means the reality or essence of a thing that underlies 
all appearances. A.nd ^ipholding all things by the tvord of his power: 
That is, his own power. This, taken in connection with the expression, throiigh -whom, 
in verse 2, and the whole statement in regard to his relation to God, would indicate that it 
was by a power resident in him, but not, in the strictest sense, original with him. When 
he had by himself purged our sins {" Had made purification of sins," Rev. 
Ver.) : This, according to the predominant view of the book, refers to the sacrificial work 
of Jesus, through which he " purified our conscience from dead works to serve the living 
God." Of these three subordinate clauses in verse 3, the first two denote the facts in 
relation to the Son, by virtue of which he sat down on the right hand of God, and the third 
denotes the time when he as-sumed that position; and yet, not simply time, since it was 
only then that he could fully attain that which, by original right, belonged to him. (See 
note on Phil. 2 : 10, Lesson VI.) On the rigJit hand of the 3Injesty on high : 
The right hand is the place of power next to the king. (See Matt. 20: 21, 23.) 

4. Seing made so much better than the angels (" Having become," Rev. 
Ver.) : This took place through his exaltation to the right hand of God; and it is, there- 
fore, superiority of position that is denoted. As he hath by inheritance obtained 
("As he hath inherited," Rev. Ver.) : The kingdom of Christ, his seat at the right hand 
of power, is the Messianic kingdom, acquired by his Messianic work; the name is inherited 
by him — a natural right. But the Uvo correspond to each other. The original name and 
the acquired position are alike superior to the angels. The name is evidently Son of God. 
(See verse 5.) 

5. For unto which of the angels said he at any time : This begins the 
proof, gathered from the Scriptures, of the superiority of the Son to the angels, in both 

76 



Lesson X. GOD'S MESSAGE BY HIS SON. Heb.iM-Z-, 2:1-4. 



6 And again, when he bringeth in 
the firstbegotten into the world, he 
saith. And let all the angels of God 
worship him. 

7 And of the angels he saith. 
Who maketh his angels spirits, and 
his ministers a flame of fire. 

8 But unto the Son he saith. Thy 
throne, O God, is for ever and ever : 



And he shall be to me a Son ? 
^ And when he again ^ bringeth 
in the firstborn into ^the world 
he saith. And let all the angels 
of God worship him. And of 
the angels he saith, 

Who maketh his angels "^winds. 
And his ministers a flame of 
fire : 



* Or, And agaiji, when he bringeth in. 2 Or, shall have brought in, 3 Gr. the in- 
habited earth. 4 Or, spirits. 

name and position. This first citation is in regard to the name. The question is a rhetor- 
ical form of negative statement. He never said to a?iy angel. The first quotation is 
from the second Psalm, verse 7. Originally the psalm sang the power and invincibility of 
the king of Israel, whom God had associated with himself in ruling the people of Israel, 
and exalted over all his enemies ; and it was in this theocratic sense that he is called the 
Son of God. But the full realization of these divine promises to Israel and to its kings, 
with which the Old Testament is filled, in the sense in which they were first spoken, never 
came. One period after another of the nation's history came and went, and still the bless- 
ing was delayed. And yet God was continually proving himself a true and faithful God. 
And so the nation came to have a forward look, expecting continually the promised time. 
Finally all these hopes gathered about one person, and the expectation became a Messianic 
expectation. In this large sense, all Old-Testament prophecy came to be Messianic. The 
writer of this epistle was simply following the current interpretation of the Jewish rabbis, 
when he applied this psalm to the Messiah. This day have I begotten thee : The 
begetting is, in the original, the act of anointing by which God installs him king; but 
here, where the word Son is used to denote, not a position into which the Christ was put by 
the Father, but an original relation between them, the begetting denotes the mysterious 
source of that relation; and this day is the eternity to which it belongs, the beginning 
before the creation of the world. I will he to him a Father, and he shall he to 
me a Son : This quotation is from 2 Sam. 7 : 14, The promise was made originally in 
regard to Solomon; and the whole promise, of which it forms a part, was strictly fulfilled in 
this original sense, except that the kingdom was not made eternal. At the same time, verse 
14 forbids any strict Messianic application of it. But this unfulfilled remnant of it gave 
this the forward, expectant look that belongs to the Messianic prophecies; and it takes its 
place with the rest. 

6. A.nd again when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the tvorld : 
And when again he bringeth in the firstborn. Probably the word again modifies bringeth; 
but, whether this is so or not, the time of the verb is future, showing that it refers to the 
second coming of Christ. The meaning is, that God says it with reference to that time. 
The quotation is from Deut. 32 : 43. It is not found in the Hebrew text, from which our 
version is taken ; but our author quotes, always, from the Septuagint version, and there 
it is found. In the original, it is applied to God. 

7. Who tnaheth his angels spirits (" winds," Rev. Ver.) : The quotation is 
fromPs. 104: 4. In the original, it reads, "Who maketh the winds his messengers, and 
flames of fire his servants;" that is, God makes the elements to serve him, and do his 
errands. But in our passage it means, that he makes the angels assume these shapes, to 
carry out his purposes. The inferiority of the angels appears, first, in the service which 
they perform, in contrast with the lordship of the Son ; and, second, in the changeable 
shapes which they are required to assume, contrasted with the eternally unchangeable 
nature of the Son. This transformation of the angels into elemental shapes is a matter of 
frequent allusion in the rabbinical writings. 

8. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: This is from Ps. 45 : 6. The 

77 



Lesson X. GOD'S MESSAGE BY HIS SON. Heb.i-.i-^; 2:1-4. 



a sceptre of righteousness is 
sceptre of thy kingdom. 



the 



2 : I Therefore we ought to give 
the more earnest heed to the things 
which we have heard, lest at any 
time we should let them slip. 

2 For if the word spoken by angels 
was stedfast, and every transgres- 
sion and disobedience received a 
just recompense of reward; 

3 How shall we escape, if we ne- 
glect so great salvation ; which at 
the first began to be spoken by the 
Lord, and was confirmed unto us by 
them that heard him; 

4 God also bearing the7n witness, 
both with signs and wonders, and 
with divers miracles, and gifts of 
the Holy Ghost, according to his 
own will .'' 



8 but of the Son he saith, 

Thy throne, O God, is for ever 

and ever ; 
And the sceptre of uprightness 
is the sceptre of ^ thy king- 
dom. 
2 : I Therefore we ought to give 
the more earnest heed to the 
things that were heard, lest haply 

2 we drift away fro}?i them. For 
if the word spoken through an- 
gels proved stedfast, and every 
transgression and disobedience 
received a just recompense of 

3 reward ; how shall we escape, if 
we neglect so great salvation? 
which having at the first been 
spoken through the Lord, was 
confirmed unto us by them that 

4 heard ; God also bearing witness 
with them, both by signs and 
wonders, and by manifold pow- 
ers, and by ^ gifts of the ^ Holy 
Ghost, according to his own will. 



J The two oldest Greek manuscripts read h£s. ^ Gr. distributions. 
and so throughout this book. 



3 Or, Hoty Spirit; 



psalm is an epitkalamiutn for the marriage of some king, and this language is addressed 
to him. It is, of course, impossible to suppose that he could have been addressed as God 
in any strict sense of that word; and so the language in the psalm has been variously inter- 
preted. The Messianic application of the psalm is taught by the Jewish rabbis. A. 
sceptre of tngJiteousness ("And the sceptre of uprightness," Rev. Ver.). 

2: I. The writer comes now to the practical result of this difference between the old 
and new covenants. He warns his readers lest they fall away from a message so commu- 
nicated and attested. Therefore : Since the word was spoken by the exalted Son of 
God. To the things tvJiich we have heard: The "so great salvation " spoken 
through the Lord. Xes« at any time we let them slip ("We drift aw^iy from 
them" Rev. Ver.) : It is a figurative representation of the danger that they were in, of 
getting beyond the reach of these things, so that they cease to influence them. 

2. For: An argument from less to greater. Spoken hy angels : Through an- 
gels. This refers to the tradition that the angels were employed in communicating the 
law. (See Acts 7: 53; Gal. 3: 19; Ps. 68: 17.) Was stedfast ("Proved stedfast," Rev. 
Ver.). Not to be annulled or violated is the meaning. 

3. Which at the first began to he spoken by the Tord (" Through the Lord," 
Rev. Ver.): Contrasted with through attgels (verse 2). Was confirmed nnto us: 
As to those who could not receive the confirmation that came from hearing and seeing the 
Lord himself. The argument is: Men did not escape who transgressed the law spoken 
through angels ; and certainly we shall not, if we neglect a salvation spoken through the 
Lord. 

4. Hearing them nntness (" Bearing witness with them," Rev. Ver.). Signs 
and wonders: Miracles regarded as proofs, and as portents, wonders. Divers mir- 
acles (" Manifold powers," Rev. Ver.) : That is, miraculous powers. Gifts of the 
Holy Ghost (" Distributions of the Holy Spirit," Rev. Ver., margin) : God's different 
impartations of the Spirit are meant. (See i Cor. 12.) 

78 



Lesson XI. 



THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. Heb. ^'.1-12. 



LESSON XL 

THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. — Heb. 9:1-12. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — This lesson belongs to that part of the epistle in which 
the office of Christ is compared with that of the Levitical priesthood. This comparison 
begins with chapter 4: 14. The first point of likeness is, that Christ, like the Levitical 
high-priest, is in sympathy with his brethren. The first mark of superiority is, that he is 
without sin (4: 14-5: 10). Then, after a digression, the author shows that Christ is a high- 
priest after the order of Melchizedek, and proves a threefold superiority of Melchizedek to 
the Levitical priesthood, — first, in the fact that Abraham, the progenitor of that priestly 
order, paid tithes to Melchizedek, and was blessed by him; second, in the fact that the 
priests die, while it is testified of Melchizedek, that he lives; and, third, in the fact that 
Levi himself, being in the loins of Abraham, paid tithes to Melchizedek (7: i-io). Then 
he shows how it follows from this, that the priesthood, and with it the law, is abolished: for, 
first, Christ belongs to another tribe than Levi, and so he brings the Levitical priesthood to 
an end; and, secondly, that the priesthood of Christ is after the order of Melchizedek, and 
not Levitical in its nature (7: 11-17). Then follow four points in which the priesthood of 
Christ is shown to be superior to the Levitical priesthood, — first, that it does what the 
latter fails to do; second, that God confirmed it by an oath; third, that he abides for- 
ever unchangeable; and, fourth, that his is the perfect offering, needing to be offered only 
once (7: 18-28). In the eighth chapter, the author shows this superiority further in the 
fact that Christ ministers in a heavenly sanctuary, of which the earthly is only a type, 
and that he is the Mediator of a better covenant. And so, finally, we come to our lesson, in 
•which this comparison of the two sanctuaries is carried forward. 



1 Then verily the first covenant 
had also ordinances of divine ser- 
vice, and a worldly sanctuary. 

2 For there was a tabernacle 
made ; the first, wherein was the 
candlestick, and the table, and 
the shewbread ; which is called the 
sanctuary. 



1 Now even the first covenant 
had ordinances of divine service, 
and its sanctuary, a sanctuary of 

2 this world. For there was a tab- 
ernacle prepared, the first, where- 
in ^ were the candlestick, and the 
table, and ^ the shewbread ; which 

3 is called the Holy place. And 



Or, are- 2 Gr. the setting forth of the loaves. 



NOTES, — I. Translate, Even the first covenant then had ordinances of worship, 
and its sanctuary belonging to this world. Then indicates that the author resumes 
here the comparison begun in 8: 1-5, Ordinances of worship : The Levitical laws 
for the service of the tabernacle, belonging to this world : A point of contrast, not 
of resemblance ; since the sanctuary under the second covenant is heavenly. 

2. For there was a tabernacle made (" Prepared," Rev. Ver.) : The word for 
tabernacle means either a tent or a booth, — any temporary or movable structure. The 
first : The first and second parts of the tabernacle are here designated as the first and second 
tabernacles, as if the veil between them made two tabernacles. Wherein was (" Are," 
Rev. Ver., margin) : The verb has to be supplied; and the proper thing to decide the tense 
is that of the verbs expressed, which are present throughout this section. The candle- 
stick, and the table, and the shewbread (" The setting forth of the loaves," Rev. 
Ver., margin) : The terms are reversed here, so that, instead of the bread of the setting 
forth, which Is the expression for the shewbread, we have the setting forth of the bread. 
For the description of this furniture of the holy place, see Ex. 37: 10-24. There were 
some differences between the furnishing ol the tabernacle, and of the temples that succeeded 

79 



Lesson XL 



THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. Heb. <)m-i2. 



3 And after the second veil, the 
tabernacle which is called the Holi- 
est of all ; 

4 Which had the golden censer, 
and the ark of the covenant over- 
laid round about with gold, wherein 
was the golden pot that had manna, 
and Aaron's rod that budded, and 
the tables of the covenant ; 

5 And over it the cherubims of 
glory shadowing the mercyseat; of 
which we cannot now speak particu- 
larly. 

6 Now when these things were 
thus ordained, the priests went al- 
ways into the first tabernacle, ac- 
complishing the service of God. 



after the second veil, the taber- 
nacle which is called the Holy of 
holies; having a golden ^censer, 
and the ark of the covenant over- 
laid round about with gold, 
wherein '^zvas a golden pot hold- 
ing the manna, and Aaron's rod 
that budded, and the tables of 
the covenant ; and above it 
cherubim of glory overshadow- 
ing ^the mercy seat; of which 
things we cannot now speak sev- 
erally. Now these things having 
been thus prepared, the priests 
go in continually into the first 
tabernacle, accomplishing the 
services; but into the second 



^ Or, altar of incense. 2 Qr, is. 3 Gr. the propitiatory. 



it; but the author evidently means to give here that of the tabernacle. The sanctuary 
(" The holy place," Rev. Ver.) : The name contrasts it with the Holy of holies. 

3. The second veil: The first veil — usually called a curtain — was that before the 
entrance of the tabernacle, separating it from the court of the tabernacle. Holy of 
holies : The Hebrew superlative, meaning the holiest place. 

4. Which had the golden censer (" Having a golden altar of incense," Rev. Ver., 
margin, but put into the text by the American revisers) . There was a golden censer used 
by the highpriest on the day of atonement to carry the incense into the Holy of holies ; but it 
was not of sufficient importance to find any place in the description of the furniture of the 
tabernacle anywhere in the Old Testament, and would certainly not be found here among 
the contents of the Holy of holies, to which in any case it did not belong. But the altar of 
incense was not placed within the veil, but in the holy place. It was, to be sure, intimately 
associated with that in the service of the great day of atonement, as was also the altar of 
sacrifice; but its place was before the veil. There may be an explanation of this difficulty, 
so as to remove the appearance of mistake, but it has not yet been made. Ilie arJc of 
the covenant : The sacred chest containing the two tables of the law, engraved on 
stones, on which the covenant was based. Wherein teas : Are (see on verse 2), The 
golden pot that had manna ("A golden pot containing the manna," Rev. Ver.): 
The pot of manna and the rod were to be placed before the ark, not in it (see Ex. 16: 32-34, 
Num. 17: 10, 11). There was, however, a traditional interpretation of these passages con- 
forming with the view given here. Wherever these were placed, they early disappeared 
(see I Kings 8:9). The ark itself disappeared at the destruction of Solomon's temple, 
leaving the inner shrine of the temple empty and dark. 

5. And above it cheriibim of glory, overshadotvijig the mercy seat (Rev. Ver.): 
Above the ark were placed two winged creatures, facing each other; and over them the 
divine glory manifested itself. It is probably with reference to this latter fact, that they are 
called cJierubim of glory (see Ex. 25: 17-22; 37: 7-9; i Sam. 4:4). The tnercy seat: 
The cover of the ark, called in the Septuagint the propitiatory (place or thing) , since on it 
was sprinkled the blood of sacrifice on the day of atonement. Of which tilings : All 
these furnishings of the tabernacle. Instead of explaining these in detail, he hastens to the 
characteristic feature, — the inaccessibility of the Holy of holies. 

6. Now when these things were thus ordained ("These things having been 
thus prepared," Rev. Ver.). The priests went always into the first taber- 
nacle ("go in continually," Rev. Ver.) : Every day, offering incense morning and even- 
ing, and preparing and lighting the lamps ; and every week, changing the shewbread. 

80 



Lesson XI. 



THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. ^^^.9:1-12. 



7 But into the second ivent the 
high priest alone once every year, 
not without blood, which he offered 
for himself, and for the errors of 
the people : 

8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, 
that the way into the holiest of all 
was not yet made manifest, while as 
the first tabernacle was yet standing : 

9 Which was a figure for the time 
then present, in which were offered 
both gifts and sacrifices, that could 
not make him that did the service 
perfect, as pertaining to the con- 
science ; 



the high priest alone, once in the 
year, not without blood, which 
he offereth for himself, and for 

8 the ^ errors of the people : the 
Holy Ghost this signifying, that 
the way into the holy place hath 
not yet been made manifest, 
while as the first tabernacle is 

9 yet standing ; which is a parable 
for the time now present ; ac- 
cording to which are offered both 
gifts and sacrifices that cannot, 
as touching the conscience, make 

10 the worshipper perfect, being 
only (with meats and drinks and 



Gr. ignorances. 



7. JBut into the second {tabeimncJe) the high priest alone, once in the 
year : On the great day of atonement, the tenth of the seventh month, the month Tisri, 
five days before the Feast of Tabernacles. Not without blood : The blood of the sacri- 
fice, which he sprinkled on the lid of the ark, signifying the expiation of sins, without which 
the entrance to the holiest place was impossible. Which he offei'ed (" offereth," Rev, 
Ver.) : The offering for himself was one of the points of contrast to Christ, who was sinless 
(see 7 : 28) . For the errors of the people : The word for errors denotes sins com- 
mitted inadvertently, wilful sins being apparently excluded from the operation of the law of 
atonement (see Num. 15: 22-31): and yet, see Ps. 51: 16, 17, where the Psalmist evi- 
dently speaks of sacrifice in connection with flagrant sin. 

8. The Holy Ghost this signifying : The Mosaic ritual being regarded as a 
revelation of the Holy Spirit, his idea in this part of it is said to be what follows. The 
way into the holiest of all : The holy place. The holiest place is meant, but the 
distinction is dropped hereafter throughout the chapter. Moreover, it is the true, and not 
the merely symbolical holy place that is meant, as the author is giving here the meaning 
of the earthly tabernacle; not the facts about its service, but the explanation of the facts. 
Was not yet made tnauifest, xvhile as the first tabernacle tvas yet stand- 
ing (" Hath not yet been made manifest, while as the first tabernacle is yet standing," 
Rev. Ver.) : The present (and primary) tenses used throughout the paragraph refer to the 
fact that the first covenant was still observed, though it was superseded and out of date. 
The first tabernacle : Locally first, the one before the veil, as this is the invariable 
use of the term elsewhere in the passage; for, in verse 11, the greater and more perfect 
tabernacle is that through which Christ passes into the holy place, and is therefore a first 
heavenly tabernacle, in contrast with a first earthly tabernacle in verse 8. The idea is, 
that the first tabernacle stands shut out and barred off from the holy place, its daily ser- 
vice giving no admission to God ; so that, as long as it stands, it is a continual sign that the 
way to God is not yet known. 

9. Which tvas a figure for the time then present: Which is a figure for the 
present time. Which refers to the tabernacle. The present time is the Messianic period, 
in relation to which the tabernacle is a figure, representing its realities. It is here that the 
contrast between the types and figures of the old covenant, and the antitypes and realities 
of the new, begins. Jn tvhich were offered (" According to which are offered," Rev. 
Ver.) : The offering of sacrifices that had no power to cleanse, except symbolically, is in 
accordance with the figurative nature of the earthly tabernacle. That cannot, as touch- 
ing the conscience, make the worshipper perfect (Rev. Ver.) : As touching the con- 
science is in contrast with the purificatioti of the flesh in verse 13, which is represented 
as the effect of these sacrifices (see also the term carnal ordinances in verse 10). They 

81 



Lesson XI. 



THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. Heh,^:\-\2. 



10 Which stood only in meats and 
drinks, and divers washings, and 
carnal ordinances, imposed on them 
until the time of reformation. 

11 But Christ being come an high 
priest of good things to come, by a 
greater and more perfect tabernacle, 
not made with hands, that is to say, 
not of this building ; 

12 Neither by the blood of goats 
and calves, but by his own blood 
he entered in once into the holy 
place, having obtained eternal re- 
demption for ns. 



divers washings) carnal ordi- 
nances, imposed until a time of 
reformation. 

11 But Christ having come a 
high priest of "^ the good things 
to come, through the greater and 
more perfect tabernacle, not 
made with hands, that is to say, 

12 not of this creation, nor yet 
through the blood of goats and 
calves, but through his own 
blood, entered in once for all 
into the holy place, having ob- 
tained eternal redemption. 



^ Some ancient authorities read the good things that are come. 



were merely outward symbols of sacrifice, that could not purify the man so as to satisfy his 
conscience. 

ID. Whiclt stood only in meats and drinJcs, and divers washings, and 
carnal ordinances (" Being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal 
ordinances," Rev. Ver.) : That is, these sacrifices, together with the whole matter of regu- 
lations in regard to meats and drinks and washings, are only carnal ordinances, not 
affecting the spirit. Until the time of reformation : Of reconstruction. It is not 
personal amendment that is meant, but religious reconstruction. 

11. Of good things to come (" The good things to come," Rev. Ver.) : The things 
of the Messianic kingdom, to be ushered in with the return of the Christ, He is called the 
high-priest of these things, since it is through his high-priesthood that they are obtained. 
Hy a greater and more perfect tabernacle (" Through the greater," Rev. Ver.) : 
What this greater tabernacle is, appears from the fact that the holy place into which he 
entered through it is heaven itself, in which God dwells. The tabernacle then, which forms 
the vestibule to this, would be probably the lower heavens, in which saints and angels dwell, 
and in which God is perfectly worshipped. Christ passed through these heavens into the 
heaven where God himself dwells (see 4: 14, 8: 4, 9: 23 compare verse 21, 12: 22-24). 
The difference between the heavenly and earthly tabernacle is, that the latter is separated 
from the holy place, while the former is the way into it (see 10: 19). Not of this build- 
ing (" This creation," Rev. Ver.) : Not belonging to this present order of things. 

12. Neither by the blood of bulls and of goats {" Nor yet through the blood of 
goats and calves," Rev. Ver.) : All these phrases from by {through) a greater . . . 
tadernac/e, through 5y {through) his own blood, modify the verb entered, and denote 
that through which this was accomplished. Entered in once {" Once for all," Rev. 
Ver.) : Contrasted with the frequent offerings and enterings necessary in the earthly high- 
priest. Having obtained eternal redemption : A redemption eternally valid, 
instead of the imperfect, transient purification, needing yearly renewal, accomplished by 
the earthly high-priest. 

Notice, that in verse 14 it appears that this purification effected by Christ is not simply 
a legal expiation, but an inward, spiritual purification. The sacrifice of Christ is an expia- 
tion of our sins; but it is only as we are ourselves spiritually one with Christ in that sacri- 
fice, so that in it we, too, are offered up, that we are ourselves redeemed. Our lesson taken 
by itself might leave the impression that the author took simply an outward, legal view of 
the sacrifice of Christ, which is far from the truth (see 2: 10-17; 5: 7-10; 8: 6-12; 10: 
5-18; 13: 20, 21). 



Lesson XII. 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. 



2 Pet. I : I- 



LESSON XIL 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. — 2 Pet. 1:1-11. 

A. GENERAL VIEW. — For a discussion of the peculiarities and of the suspected 
genuineness of this epistle, our readers are referred to Farrar's " Early Days of Christianity." 
It would be neither scholarly nor honest to deny that the objections there set forth against 
its genuineness are very weighty and almost decisive. Certainly it must be said, that these 
objections so far outweigh the comparatively slight reasons for believing it to be the work 
of the Apostle Peter, that the balance of scholarly opinion is decidedly against it. The 
external testimony in its favor is less than in the case of any other New-Testament writing; 
and the internal difficulties, such as its difference in style and thought from the first epistle, 
its allusions to the writings of Paul, and its peculiar view of the second coming of our Lord, 
differing from that of every other New-Testament writing, are the greatest that beset any 
of these books. At the same time, it belongs to the New-Testament canon, by virtue of its 
acknowledged superiority to any writings of the period that followed. The key-word of the 
epistle is knowledge, — the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. This knowledge is 
regarded as essential to righteousness and to eternal life. The author, therefore, warns 
his readers against false teachers, who deny the Lord, and lead men away into deadly sins. 
Especially he charges them to beware of those who deny the Lord's return, and are encour- 
aged by this unbelief to walk in sin, and teaches that Christ will come, though his coming 
be delayed. The epistle is general in its address, but it claims to be intended for the 
same readers as the first epistle (see i Pet. i: i; 2 Pet. 3: i). Our lesson, after the 
address of the epistle, contains an exhortation to cultivate the Christian virtues. 



1 Simon Peter, a servant and an 
apostle of Jesus Christ, to them 
that have obtained like precious 
faith with us through the righteous- 
ness of God and our Saviour Jesus 
Christ : 

2 Grace and peace be multiplied 
unto you through the knowledge of 
God, and of Jesus our Lord, 



1 ^ Simon Peter, a ^ servant and 
apostle of Jesus Christ, to them 
that have obtained ^a like pre- 
cious faith with us in the right- 
eousness of *our God and Sa- 

2 viour Jesus Christ : Grace to you 
and peace be multiplied in the 
knowledge of God and of Jesus 

3 our Lord ; seeing that his divine 



* Many ancient authorities read Symeon. 2 Gr. bondservant. 3 Gr. an equally 
precious. ^ Or, ottr God and the Saviour. 

NOTES. — I. Simon Peter : More probably this first name is Symeon, as in the 
margin of the Revised Version. A. servant: Literally, a slave or bond-servant, add- 
ing to the idea of service that of belonging to the Lord. To them that have obtained : 
The verb means, etymologically, to obtain by lot ; but to suppose that there is in it any 
reference to the doctrine of election, as some commentators do, is preposterous. See Acts 
i: 17, where the same word is used. A like precious faith : A faith of equal value, one 
that insures the same blessings. With us: The author has in mind here, probably, 
the Jewish Christians, with whom his Gentile readers have an equally precious faith. 
Through the righteousness (" in," Rev. Ver.) : But it is not a faith in his right- 
eousness, but a faith obtained in that, or by virtue of it. Probably it means the righteous- 
ness which leads to him to bestow the same faith on both Jew and Gentile, without respect 
of persons. Of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (" Our God and the Saviour 
Jesus Christ," Rev. Ver., margin, and put into the text by the American revisers) : The 
Revised Version reads. Our God and Saviour Jesjis Christ ; but while this is gram- 
matically preferable, though not certain, the usage of the New Testament is plainly against 
it, as there is not one plain case in which the name God is applied to Jesus. 

a. Grace and peace: The distinctive Christian salutations; the former denoting 

83 



Lesso7i XII. 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. 



2 Pet. I : i-ii. 



3 According as his divine power 
hath given unto us all things that 
pertain unto life and godliness, 
through the knowledge of him that 
hath called us to glory and virtue : 

4 Whereby are given unto us 
exceeding great and precious prom- 
ises : that by these ye might be par- 
takers of the divine nature, having 
escaped the corruption that is in 
the world through lust. 

5 And beside this, giving all 
diligence, add to your faith virtue; 
and to virtue knowledge ; 



power hath granted unto us all 
things that pertain unto life and 
godliness, through the knowl- 
edge of him that called us ^ by 
his own glory and virtue ; where- 
by he hath granted unto us his 
precious and exceeding great 
promises ; that through these ye 
may become partakers of ^the 
divine nature, having escaped 
from the corruption that is in 
the world by lust. Yea, and for 
this very cause adding on your 
part all diligence, in your faith 



I Some ancient authorities read through glory and virtue. ^ Or, a. 

the favor of God, and the latter the welfare proceeding from that favor. Through the 
hnoii'ledge of God, and of tlesiis our JLord {"hi the kfioivledge," Rev. Ver.); 
It denotes that in which this grace and peace will be multiplied. It is as they know God 
and Christ, that they will be so blessed. 

3. According as ("seeing that," Rev. Ver.): Probably verses 3, 4, are not to be 
connected with the preceding verses, as it is unusual to lengthen out a salutation in this 
way, but with the exhortation beginning with verse 5. These things constitute tbe reason 
of that appeal, as he says in verse 5. All thiiigs that x>ertain nnto life and god- 
liness : That tend to life. The things that tend to this are mentioned as God's gift, 
because he wishes to introduce aftenvards what they are to contribute toward the same 
result. Lzye is here opposed to corruption in verse 4. It is the state of spiritual vigor and 
soundness, with which is contrasted the decay of the spiritual faculties. Godliness is this 
life in its outward activities. Throtigh the hnoicledge of hitn that hath called 
tis : This is the means by which God bestows these gifts tending to life and godliness: 
it is through the knowledge of himself. He is styled him that called us, because it is the 
knowledge of God in his gracious action that is the channel of these divine gifts and influ- 
ences. The call of God is his gracious influence upon the souls of men, by which they 
become his servants, or the leaders of men in the work of his kingdom. To glory and 
virtue ("by his own glory and virtue," Rev. Ver.) : These are words fitly chosen. By 
putting in his own, the writer tacidy contrasts them with the glory and virtue, the life and 
godliness, to which God calls us. It is by these qualities in himself that God calls us to the 
same; and he chooses the homely wor A virttte, not generally applied to God, instead of 
the more exalted word holiness, in order to suggest more vividly the relation of our virtuous 
qualities to corresponding things in God. 

4. Whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises 
(Rev. Ver.) : Whereby refers to the glory and virtue of the preceding verse. 'Y\\e prom- 
ises are not in general the promises of the Christian life, but specially those in regard to 
the re-appearance of Christ, and the establishment of his kingdom (see verse 15 sqq., 
chapter 3: 4 sgg.). This makes the burden of the epistle, and is the expectation by which 
the writer urges his readers to " all holy conversation and godliness." That through 
these ye may become partakers of the divine nature (Rev. Ver.) : That is, through 
these promises; not through their fulfilment, but through the promises themselves, the 
inducements that they contain to holy living. This forward and hopeful look of the spirit 
b a great incitement to virtue. PartaTiers of the divine -nature: The spiritual 
likeness to God that the truth of God within imparts. Having escaped from the corrup- 
tion : This word is the opposite oilife, and denotes the state of spiritual destruction and 
decay which results from sin. Through lust : Literally, in lust, or evil desire, as that 
in which this decay resides. 

5. And beside this : And even for this same reason. Because of all these things 

84 



Lesson XII. 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. 



2 Pet. I :i-ii. 



6 And to knowledge temperance ; 
and to temperance patience; and 
to patience godliness ; 

7 And to godliness brotherly 
kindness ; and to brotherly kind- 
ness charity. 

8 For if these things be in you, 
and abound, they make you that ye 
shall neither be barren nor unfruit- 
ful in the knowledge of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

9 But he that lacketh these things 
is blind, and cannot see afar off, 
and hath forgotten that he was 
purged froin his old sins. 

ID Wherefore the rather, breth- 
ren, give diligence to make your 



supply virtue ; and in your virtue 

6 knowledge ; and in your knowl- 
edge ^ temperance ; and in your 
' temperance patience ; and in 

7 your patience godliness ; and in 
your godliness love of the breth- 
ren; and in your love of the 

8 brethren love. For if these 
things are yours and abound, 
they make you to be not idle nor 
unfruitful unto the knowledge of 

9 our Lord Jesus Christ. For he 
that lacketh these things is blind, 
^ seeing only what is near, having 
forgotten the cleansing from his 

10 old sins. Wherefore, brethren, 
give the more diligence to make 
your calling and election sure : 



^ Or, self-control. ^ Ox, closing his eyes. 



that he has said, because of what God has bestowed on them tending to Hfe and godliness, 
and that they may become partakers of the divine nature, he urges them to contribute on 
their part to the same result. Giving all diligence ("adding on your part all dili- 
gence," or zeal, Rev. Ver.) : This represents their contribution to the desired end. A-dd, 
to your faith virtue ("in your faith supply virtue," Rev. Ver.): The meaning is. 
Having faith, do not forget to have also virtue, which belongs with it. A7id in your 
virtue knowledge : That is, probably, that practical knowledge that shows a man what 
to do, and how to do it, so that their virtue may be intelligent, 

6. In your knowledge tejtiperance (" Self-control," Rev. Ver., margin): The power 
to keep the appetites and passions in check that knowledge brings. Patience : Stead- 
fastness. That which keeps a man loyal under persecutions. This is joined with self-con- 
trol, because the power to endure and to resist both belong to self-mastery. Godliness : 
Piety, the worshipping and reverential side of goodness. He would have their steadfastness 
not simply heroic, but joined with that reverence which is its true source. 

7. JBrotherly kindness ("love of the brethren," Rev. Ver.). Charity ("love," 
Rev. Ver.). These two graces — love of their Christian brethren, and love of all men — 
are the necessary accompaniments of godliness (see i John 4: 20). 

8. JBe in you : Belong to you. A.bound : Increase. Not so much abundance, as 
growth, is the law of the Christian life. Barren (" idle," Rev Ver.) : But the idleness 
denoted is not so much inactivity, as uselessness ; moreover, the idea is not that the things 
mentioned produce fruitfulness, but that they constitute it. In the Icnowledge of our 
Z.ord tlesus Christ (" unto the knowledge," Rev. Ver.) : Denotes the end to which 
all this fruitfulness tends. The knowledge of the Lord is not only the beginning of the 
Christian life, but its end. To know God is to serve him ; and, in turn, to serve God is to 
know him. 

9. Hut he that lacJceth these things (" for he," Rev. Ver.) : It is an argument 
from the opposite. These things beiftg in them make them fruitful for knowledge; 
for he that lacks them is blind, withottt k7iowledge therefore. Seeing only what is 
near (Rev. Ver.): Seeing only earthly, not heavenly, things. Having forgotten the 
cleansing from his old sins (Rev. Ver.) : His blindness to heavenly things is caused by 
his forgetfulness of the grace bestowed on him at his conversion. The cleansing is not 
here forgiveness, nor baptism, — the former is irrelevant, and the latter only formal, — but 
the change symbolized by baptism, the radical, though not complete, cleansing at the new 
birth, is meant. 

10. Wherefore the rather, , . . give diligence (" wherefore . . . give the more 

85 



Lesson XII. 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. 



2 Pet. i:i-i: 



calling and election sure : for if ye 
do these things, ye shall never fall : 
II For so an entrance shall be 
ministered unto you abundantly 
into the everlasting kingdom of our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 



for if ye do these things, ye shall 
never stumble : for thus shall be 
richly supplied unto you the en- 
trance into the eternal kingdom 
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ. 



diligence," Rev. Ver,). To make your calling and election sure : The calling 
is that which makes the choice known. God chooses men, and calls them to himself: here 
both are treated as provisional acts, depending for their final ratification on the fruitfulness 
of the man. It is he that endures to the end, that shall be saved. Ye shall never fall : 
That is, fail of salvation. 

II. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly (" shall 
be richly supplied unto you the entrance," Rev. Ver ) : Notice the recurrence of this 
word siipply (see verse 5). It is as they supply virtue and the like, that God supplies 
entrance to his kingdom. Richly : Not stintedly, without hinderance or difficulty (see for 
the opposite i Pet. 4: 18). 

86 



THIRD QUARTER. 



LESSON I. 

REVOLT OF THE TEN TRIBES. — 1 Kings 12:6-17. 
A GENERAL VIEW. 

This revolt of the ten tribes had, for its immediate occasion, the disaffection caused by 
the heavy burdens laid upon the people by Solomon, and Rehoboam's haughty and unwise 
refusal to lighten them. Nothing is said of this disaffection in the account of Solomon's 
reign ; but it is evident that his immense wealth must have resulted in the impoverishment 
of his people, as the works that he built must have required a constant and exacting service 
of them. The establishment of the kingdom had consolidated the nation, and given it an 
importance and stability that it could never have had as a loose confederacy of tribes; L^- 
it had its other side, as Samuel had foreseen, owing to the fact that a kingdom was at that 
time a despotism, in which the king was the nation, and the people were his serfs, helping 
to build up a greatness that they did not share. The free spirit of the nomad Israelites 
revolted, when this state of things reached its culmination in Solomon ; and the growing 
disaffection, which the king's power had kept down, broke out under Rehoboam. But there 
was another cause lying back of this, and giving shape to it. Tribal jealousy had from 
the first threatened the stability of the kingdom. It was probably owing to the contempt of 
the larger tribes for little Benjamin, that Saul's accession to the kingdom was delayed so 
long; and, when David began to reign, adhesion of the ten tribes to Ishbosheth was due to 
the fiercer jealousy of Ephraim for its rival, Judah. These were from the beginning the 
two great tribes ; but for the first three hundred years Ephraim had the decided ascendency. 
It was given the central and most favored part of the land, and the Ephraimite city of 
Shiloh was made the dwelling-place of the ark, and so the religious capital of the people ; 
and when a dynasty was established in Judah, and Jerusalem was made both the political 
and religious capital of the nation, it was felt that this involved a distinct rejection of " the 
tent of Joseph " and of the tribe of Ephraim (see Ps. 78: 67, 68) . The revolt was largely, 
therefore, a re-assertion of the ascendency of Ephraim, in which its natural confederates 
were the northern tribes. 

87 



Lesson I. REVOLT OF THE TEN TRIBES, i Kings 12 : d-ij . 



6 And king Rehoboam consulted 
with the old men, that stood before 
Solomon his father while he yet 
lived, and said, How do ye advise 
that I may answer this people ? 

7 And they spake unto him, say- 
ing, If thou wilt be a servant unto 
this people this day, and wilt serve 
them, and answer them, and speak 
good words to them, then they will 
be thy servants for ever. 

8 But he forsook the counsel of 
the old men, which they had given 
him, and consulted with the young 
men that were grown up with him, 
a?id which stood before him : 



9 And he said unto them, What 
counsel give ye that we may answer 
this people, who have spoken to me, 
saying, Make the yoke which thy 
father did put upon us lighter ? 

10 And the young men that were 
grown up with him spake unto him, 
saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto 
this people that spake unto thee, 
saying, Thy father made our yoke 
heavy, but make thou it lighter unto 
us; thus shalt thou say unto them. 
My VitWt JiJiger shalt be thicker than 
my father's loins. 

11 And now whereas my father 
did lade you with a heavy yoke, I 



NOTES. — 6. Rehoboam had shown his wisdom in coming to Shechem, a central and 
convenient place, for his inauguration into the kingly office: but there he had been met 
with the demand of the people, that he lighten their burdens, the imposts and enforced 
service exacted by Solomon; and they had made this the condition of their subjection to him. 
When the king found himself confronted with this demand, he sent the people away for 
three days, to give him an opportunity to consult with his advisers. Mehohoam: The 
son of Solomon by Naamah an Ammonitess (see 14 : 21, 31) . The old men, that stood 
before Solomon Jiis father : In chapter 4, a list of Solomon's officers, priests, re- 
corders, captains, assessors, and the like, is given. Whether these are intended here, or 
others, distinctively counsellors, we cannot tell. 

7. The point of this answer is in the contrast between i/iz's day and forever. Give in 
to them now, and so gain a permanent ascendency over them. If thou wilt he a, 
servant: It is not without reason that the concession is spoken of in this way; for the 
requirement of the people had not been a humble petition, but one in which they had as- 
sumed to be masters of the situation, and had dictated terms to the king. The advice was, 
therefore, that the king allow them to be masters for this once, in order to gain the kingdom 
which they made to depend on that. They saw that the demand was a reasonable one, and 
one which the people were in a condition to enforce. Good tvords : The soft answer 
which turneth away wrath (Prov. 15: i). 

8. T7ie young men that tvere grown up tvifJi him: Had grown up. It de- 
notes the process, and not the result. Which stood before Jiim : A phrase denoting 
the attendants or ministers of a king. It is in contrast with the standing before Solomon 
(verse 6). He turned from the counsel of the old men who had served his father, to the 
young men who had been his companions, and were now his servants. He had been 
brought up in a despotic court, and could not brook the counsel of submission given by the 
wise elders. 

9. The yoke tvhich thy father did put upon us (see chapters 4:5: 13-15; 7: 
1-12; 10: 14-29; 11: 27, 28). Some of these passages tell us of the sers'ice exacted by 
Solomon, and some of his enormous wealth, which meant, of course, a heavy tribute paid to 
him by the people. 

ID. Thy father made our yohe heavy, but maJce thoti it lighter: They 
repeat what the people said, in order to put in contrast with it their answer. My little 
finger shall be thicher than my father's loins : The \sox^ finger is not in the 
text, and the only reason for supplying it is, that the little finger makes a proper contrast 
to the loins in the matter of thickness and strength. But the point of contrast is plain 
enough. They will find him so much worse than his father. These young men feel the 
defiance implied in the people's request; and they fling back defiance, without coimting the 
difficulties as the old men did. 



Lesson I. REVOLT OF THE TEN TRIBES. \ Kings \2'.(>-\t. 



will add to your yoke : my father 
hath chastened you with whips, but 
I will chastise you with scorpions. 

12 So Jeroboam and all the people 
came to Rehoboam the third day, 
as the king had appointed, saying, 
Come to me again the third day. 

13 And the king answered the 
people ^ roughly, and forsook the old 
men's counsel that they gave him ; 

14 And spake to them after the 
counsel of the young men, saying, My 
father made your yoke heavy, and I 
will add to your yoke : my father 
also chastised you with whips, but I 
will chastise you with scorpions. 

15 Wherefore the king hearkened 



not unto the people ; for the cause 
was from the Lord, that he might 
perform his saying, which the Lord 
spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto 
Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 

16 So when all Israel saw that 
the king hearkened not unto them, 
the people answered the king, say- 
ing. What portion have we in David ? 
neither have we inheritance in the 
son of Jesse : to your tents, O Israel : 
now see to thine own house, David. 
So Israel departed unto their tents. 

17 But as for the children of 
Israel which dwelt in the cities 
of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over 
them. 



I Heb. hardly. 



11. Scorpions : The animal itself was an insect, several inches long, with a sting in 
the end of its tail, the effect of which was painful and serious, but not fatal. There is some 
probability that there was a whip armed with iron points to which this name was applied; 
but, if there was no such use of the word, the language is plain enough and sufficiently 
strong. Of course the whipping is that of a taskmaster or overseer (Ex. 5: 13, 14). The 
implication that the Israelites were driven to their tasks with whips gives a striking picture 
of the dark side of Solomon's reign. 

12. tferoboam : The son of Nebat, an Ephraimite, who had lived with his widowed 
mother Zeruah in Zereda, until Solomon, seeing his capacity for work, singled him out as 
overseer of the levy of men from his tribe to build the walls of Jerusalem. This led to his 
encounter with the prophet Ahijah, from Shiloh in Ephraim, who prophesied the partition 
of the kingdom, and the reign of Jeroboam over ten of the tribes. In some way this came 
to Solomon's ears; and Jeroboam had to fly to Egypt, where he rem.ained until the death of 
Solomon. Naturally enough, he became the leader of the people in this remonstrance. 
The third day : See verse 5. 

13. A.nstvered the people rotighly : It was no temperate and conciliatory refusal, 
attempting to justify his course, but a threatening and contemptuous rejection. 

15. For the cause ivas frotn the Xiord : This is the providential explanation of the 
king's harsh reply. The Lord had a purpose to accomplish, and this made it possible. It 
was Rehoboam's refusal that fulfilled the prophecy in regard to the rending of the kingdom 
(see 11: 29-31). 

16. What portion have we in David ? These words are the same used as a rally- 
ing cry by Sheba in his attempt to take advantage of this same tribal jealousy to carry 
forward Absalom's rebellion after its collapse (see 2 Sam. 20: i). To your tents, O 
Israel : Israel is here the rest of the tribes, contrasted with Judah. The cry means to 
call them off from following the king. Their coming together was at the king's instance, 
and their departure to their tents would signify that they cast him off. See to thine 
own house, Z>avid : David's own tribe, Judah, is meant. The house, or dynasty, of 
David is bidden to care for its own tribe, and leave the rest of the people to themselves. 

17. The children of Israel tvhich dwelt in the cities of Judah : Not the 
members of the tribe of Judah, but those of the other tribes that were settled in Judah, and 
whose interests were there. 

89 



Lesson II. 



IDOLATRY ESTABLISHED. \ Kings 12-. z^-^y 



LESSON II. 



IDOLATRY ESTABLISHED.— 1 Kings 12:25-33. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — After the revolt at Shechem, Rehoboam made one last 
attempt, either to adjust things with the revoked tribes, or to collect tribute from them, 
sending out, for the one purpose or the other, Adoram, his assessor; and the people put 
the final touch on their rejection of the king by putting his officer to death. Then he col- 
lected an army to subjugate them; but the Lord forbade war among brethren, and told Re- 
hoboam that the separation of the kingdom was from him. Meantime, Jeroboam had been 
made king of the ten tribes ; but a formidable obstacle stood in his way at the very begin- 
ning. In spite of the revolt against an oppressive rule of a hated tribe, there was still at 
Jerusalem the religious sanctuary of the nation, about which the affections and religious 
feelings of the people had begun to gather. David had designed that this should be so, — 
that to the political unity of the people should be added a stronger religious unity, and 
that both should gather about one place; so that the sceptre once established in Judah 
should not depart from it. He had seen that the number of high-places scattered over the 
land divided the religious feelings of the people, and that one sanctuary would tend to weld 
them together. Hence, the removal of the ark to Jerusalem, and the building of the tem- 
ple, and hence Jeroboam's perplexity. To avoid this, he managed shrewdly. He did not 
set up many high-places, which would have lost for him the unity secured by David for 
his kingdom, nor did he leave worship to regulate itself; and yet he took advantage of the 
one apparently weak spot in David's organization of the national religion. By setting up 
two places of worship, one at the northern, and the other at the southern, end of his king- 
dom, he avoided the long pilgrimages necessary under David's plan, and the possible jeal- 
ousy of a favored spot. He availed himself also of the idolatrous tendencies of the people ; 
and, while he provided still for the worship of Jehovah, he set up a golden calf or bullock 
in each place to represent him. 



25 Tf Then Jeroboam built She- 
chem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt 
therein ; and went out from thence, 
and built Penuel. 



26 And Jeroboam said in his 
heart, Now shall the kingdom re- 
turn to the house of David : 

27 If this people go up to do sac- 



NOTES. — 25. Shechem in Moinit Ephraim : This Shechem is the Sychar of 
the New Testament, and the modern Nablus. It is beautifully situated in the valley be- 
tween Ebal and Gerizim; and, owing to its central location, it was from the first an impor- 
tant place in both the religious and political history of the nation, and at this time the most 
historical, if not the most important, within the borders of Ephraim (see Gen. 12: 6, 7; 33: 
18-20; 35: 1-4; Josh. 21:20, 21; 8: 33-35; 24: 1,25; Judges 9: 1-54). When it says that 
Jeroboam built it, it must mean simply that he strengthened and enlarged it. It was de- 
stroyed by Abimelech, but must have been rebuilt, as appears from Rehoboam's going 
there to be inaugurated. Motmt JEj^hraim : The hill country of Ephraim: there is 
no single mountain of that name. Penuel: A place on the cast of the Jordan, near 
Succoth, and between that and the Jabbok. It afforded Jeroboam a strong hold on that 
side of the river, and commanded the road from thence to his capital (see Gen. 32 : 30, 31 ; 
Judg. 8: 5-17)- 

27. If this 2^fojyIe f/o np to do sacrifice in the Jionse of the lord at Je- 
vnsaJem : It was the feeling engendered in the people, that there was only one place to 
worship, and in which God bestowed his favor, that Jeroboam feared. This had served to 
keep the people together, and there was danger now that it would awaken the old feeling. 

00 



Lesson II. 



IDOLATRY ESTABLISHED, i A7;/^^j 12 : 25-33. 



rifice in the house of the Lord at 
Jerusalem, then shall the heart of 
this people turn again unto their 
lord, even unto Rehoboam king of 
Judah, and they shall kill me, and 
go again to Rehoboam king of Ju- 
dah. 

28 Whereupon the king took 
counsel, and made two calves of 
gold, and said unto them, It is too 
much for you to go up to Jerusa- 
lem : behold thy gods, O Israel, 
which brought thee up out of the 
land of Egypt. 



29 And he set the one in Beth-el, 
and the other put he in Dan. 

30 And this thing became a sin : 
for the people went to worship be- 
fore the one, eve'>i unto Dan. 

31 And he made an house of high 
places, and made priests of the low- 
est of the people, which were not of 
the sons of Levi. 

32 And Jeroboam ordained a 
feast in the eight month, on the fif- 
teenth day of the month, like unto 
the feast that is in Judah, and he 
^ offered upon the altar. So did he 



^ Or, went up to the altar, etc. 



A.nd they shall kill me : Will kill. They would do this as a means of regaining 
favor with Rehoboam (see 2 Sam. 4: 5-7). 

28. ^Lnd made tivo calves of gold : Probably, from what we know of such images, 
bullocks are meant here, since the object was to express the strength of the Deity. It is 
too mticJi for you to go tip to tferusaleni : He puts before them the one objec- 
tion to this, that obtained even in the days of the united kingdom, — that it was too much. 
And now they would share the king's prejudice against Jerusalem so far, that they would 
welcome gladly any device that would free them altogether from any obligation to it. 
Sehold thy gods : These are very nearly the words in which Aaron called the people 
to worship the golden calf, when Moses was in the mount (see Ex. 32: 4, 8). In them 
Jeroboam did not bring other gods for the people to worship, but idolatrous representations 
of Jehovah, appealing to the craving of the unspiritual mind for some visible object of 
worship. 

29. Hethel : A place in the extreme south of Israel, on the borders of Ephraim and 
Benjamin, which had been from the beginning a holy place (see Gen. 28: 19; 35: 14, 15; 
12 : 8; 13 : 3, 4; Judg. 20 : 18, 26, 31; 21 : 2-4; i Sam. 7 : 16). In the passages from 
Judges, Bethel is translated house of God. Dan : A place not having any recorded 
sanctity, but selected on account of its location in the extreme north of the country. It 
belonged originally to the Zidonians, under the name of Laish (see Josh. 19: 47; Judg. 18: 
29). 

30. This thing hecame a sin : That is, as explained in what follows; Jeroboam's 
setting up of the images occasioned the sin of worshipping them in the people. Hefore 
the one, even unto Dan: As it stands, this is a singular statement, implying that 
they went to only one, and that the more inaccessible place to the majority of them. 
Probably there is some error in the text here, possibly an omission of a similar statement 
in regard to Bethel. 

31. An house of high places : The high places, the mountains and hills, were sup- 
posed to be specially acceptable as places of worship to the Deity; and consequently we 
find their use a very common thing throughout Jewish history. A hozise of the high 
places was a shrine, or chapel, for worship erected in such a place. Jeroboam built one 
such place of worship in both Bethel and Dan. Of the lotvest of the people : Liter- 
ally, of the ends of the people. Probably it means that he took them from all classes, and 
not from the Levitical priestly caste. This seems to have been necessitated by the refusal 
of the Levitical priests to officiate at the new altars; and it was accompanied by an exodus 
of the priests to Jerusalem and Judsea (see 2 Chron. 11: 13, 14). 

32. In the eight month, on the fifteenth day of the month, liTce unto 
the feast that is in tludaJi : The Jewish feast to which this corresponded was the 
Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh month. As it was a harvest feast, the later time 

91 



Lesson III. OMRI AXD AHAB. i A7;/^^i- i6: 23-34. 

in Beth-el, ^sacrificing unto the calves I fifteenth day of the eight month, 
that he had made : and he placed 1 even in the month \Yhich he had 
in Beth-el the priests of the high ^ devised of his own heart; and or- 
places which he had made. j dained a feast unto the children of 

33 So he ^ offered upon the altar ; Israel : and he offered upon the 
■which he had m.ade in Beth-el the i altar, - and burnt incense. 

^ Or, to sacrifice. - Or, luetit 7ip to the altar, etc. 3 Heb. to bum htcefise. 

of har\'est in the northern part of the land may have had something to do ^^^th the change 
(see Lev. 23 : 34; Deut. 16: 13-15). Me offered upon the altar: He went up to 
the altar, ascended the steps leading up to it, imph-ing that he offered sacrifice himself. 
So did he in Sethel : Not so also, but stating that it was in Bethel that he did this. 
Sacrificing : To sacrifice. The meaning is, he did so, viz., went up on the altar in 
Bethel, to sacrifice. 

33. So he offered ^ijion the altar : Went up to the altar (see note on preceding 
verse). WliicJi he had devised of Jiis own heart: Instead of following the 
ordinance in regard to the month of the feast. The king, as such, had no right to regulate 
these matters. lie offered upon the altar, and burnt incense: He went up 
to the altar ♦■o bum incense. This verse really belongs with the next chapter. 



LESSON III. 

OMRI AND AHAB. — 1 Kings 16 : 23-34. 

A GElfERAL 'VIEW. — ^^'hen Jeroboam inaugurated the new worship at Bethel, a 
prophet from Judah appeared, who denounced the altar erected by the king, and predicted 
its overthrow. Then, the king's son being sick, he sent his wife to consult the prophet who 
had predicted the di\-ision of the kingdom and his accession to the throne of Israel ; and 
Ahijah prophesied the destruction of Jeroboam's house, and the overthrow of the northern 
kingdom, because of this setting up of a strange worship. This prophecy in regard to the 
house of Jeroboam was fulfilled in the reign of his son Nadab. After a short reign of two 
years, Nadab was slain by Baasha of the tribe of Issachar, who conspired against him dur- 
ing the siege of Gibbethon in a war with the Philistines. This Baasha reigned twenty-four 
j-ears, in the course of which he slew all the house of Jeroboam; but he himself continued 
the sin of the idolatrous worship. Then the Lord raised up a prophet, Jehu, the son of 
Hanani, who prophesied the overthrow of his djmasty. This prophecy was fulfilled in the 
reign of his son Elah, who, after two years, was slain bj- Zimri, one of his captains. He, in 
his turn, was defeated by Omri, the captain of the host, and slew himself. Omri, however, 
succeeded in establishing himself in the kingdom only after four years' war with his rival, 
Tibni. In the mean time, during the reign of Jeroboam, the capital had been transferred 
to Tirzah, a place famous for its beauty. It thus appears that the northern kingdom had 
a turbulent histor>', \\4th a frequent change of dj-nastj-, during the first fort\--eight 3-ears; 
but Omri succeeded in introducing a more stable condition of things, in which his family 
retained possession of the throne for four reigns, covering fort^'-eight years. 

23 ^ In the thirty and first year of I reign over Israel, twelve years : six 
Asa king of Judah began Omri to \ years reigned he in Tirzah. 

NOTES. — 23. In the thirtt/ and first year of Asa hing of -Iiidah : Asa 

was the third king of Judah, succeeding his father, Abijam, who reigned three years; 
Abijam's predecessor being his father Rehoboam, who reigned seventeen years. Twelve 
years : As the beginning of this reign is put in the thirt^'-first year of Asa's reign, and the 
beginning of Ahab's reign in the thirtj'-eighth, there is a mistake somewhere. The vari- 

92 



Lesson III. 



OMRI AND AHAB. 



Kings 16:23-34. 



24 And he bought the hill Sama- 
ria of Shemer for two talents of 
silver, and built on the hill, and 
called the name of the city which he 
built, after the name of Shemer, 
owner of the hill, ^ Samaria. 

25 ^ But Omri wrought evil in the 
eyes of the Lord, and did worse 
than all that were before him. 

26 For he walked in all the way 
of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and 
in his sin wherewith he made Israel 
to sin, to provoke the Lord God of 
Israel to anger with their vanities. 

27 Now the rest of the acts of 
Omri which he did, and his might 
that he shewed, are they not written 



in the book of the chronicles of the 
kings of Israel ? 

28 So Omri slept with his fathers, 
and was buried in Samaria: and 
Ahab his son reigned in his stead. 

29 \ And in the thirty and eighth 
year of Asa king of Judah began 
Ahab the son of Omri to reign over 
Israel : and Ahab the son of Omri 
reigned over Israel in Samaria 
twenty and two years. 

30 And Ahab the son of Omri 
did evil in the sight of the Lord 
above all that were before him. 

31 And it came to pass, ^as if it 
had been a light thing for him to 
walk in the sins of Jeroboam the 



Heb. Shomeron. 2 Heb. ivas it a ligJit thing, etc. 



ance can be removed by translating, So Tibni died, and Omri reigned z'« the thirty- 
first year of Asa, king of Judah. Omri reigned over Israel twelve years. This 
makes the twelve years to cover all the time from the twenty-seventh year of Asa, including 
the four years' war with Tibni. But Omri's sole reign began in the thirty-first year. The 
dates in these histories are sadly confused, owing possibly to the abbreviations in the 
original text, and the consequent mistakes of transcribers. Sioc years reigned he in 
Tirzah : Shechem had been the original capital; but Jeroboam, before his death, 
changed his residence to Tirzah, probably on account of its beauty (see 14: 17; Solomon's 
Seng 6:4). Its site is unknown. 

24. The hill Satiiaria : This hill, on which the city of Samaria was built, is six 
miles north-west of Shechem, in the midst of a valley surrounded by high hills. The hill is 
oblong in shape, with a flat top. It combined the beauty and strength desirable for a royal 
residence. Samaria is the Greek form of the name; the Hebrew being Shomeron, meaning 
a watch-post. After the na^ne of Shemer, owner of the hill : In the strange 
mixture of names of persons and things in the Old Testament, we find here a name which 
belongs appropriately to the place applied to the owner, and only through him to the place. 
Very likely the process of the king in naming the place was reversed in the original use 
of the names; the name being given to the place on account of its elevation, and then to 
the owner. Samaria became thus the capital of the northern kingdom, a position that it 
did not lose ; and eventually the name came to be applied to the kingdom itself. 

25. A-tid did worse than all that tvere before hint : There is a passage in the 
prophet Micah (6: 16) which shows that the pre-eminent wickedness of Omri was prover- 
bial in the last days of the kingdom, two hundred years later, and that this wickedness was 
embodied by him in the law of the land. 

26. For he walked : And he walked. The sin of Jerobomn : The calf-worship and 
all that was connected with it. The J^ord God of Israel : Jehovah, the God of Israel. 
Their' vanities : Their idols, which were called vain things on account of their nothing- 



27. His might : Or valor. Booh of the chronicles of the hings of Israel : 

Not our books of Chronicles, which contain references to the same; but the annals of each 
reign, which were written out by some scribe, and deposited in the public archives, — the 
official records. 

29. Tiventg and tivo years: By comparing together 22:41 and 22:51, we get 
twenty to twenty-one years as the length of this reign. 

31. The sins of Jerohoatn, the son of Nehat : The calf-worship, which was, as 
we have seen, a worship of Jehovah, but a departure from the spiritual worship that he 

93 



Lesson JV. 



ELIJAH THE TISHEITE. i Al>ir=^ 17 : 1-16. 



son of Nebat, that he took to wife 
Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal 
king of the Zidonians, and went and 
served Baal, and worshipped him. 

32 And he reared up an altar for 
Baal in the house of Baal, which he 
had buik in Samaria. 

33 And Ahab made a grore ; and 



I God of Israel to anger than all the 
kings of Israel that were before him. 
34 In his days did Hiel the Beth- 
elite build Jericho : he laid the foun- 
dation thereof in Abiram his first- 
bom, and set up the gates thereof in 
his youngest son Segub, according 
to the word of the Lord, which he 
?-r':t ':-^ Toshua the son of Nun. 



Ms.- 






•J^ztbt^ the daughter of 

Trre aud ^doo, and befijie 

; riesdy iamDj duows li^it 

. .eat in Afaab's ndgn. 

r;diel was pnibaUhf 

- = J^DOd. AMd, 



St of die 



In hi^ da>tsrUJ Hi'^lfh^B^fheJifehuUdJ 



LESSOX IV. 



c-e Li -^t MUic :: •j:.t :: 

that is, he was die prede 
ing tibat belonged to the 



Lesson IV. 



ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 



Kings 17 : 1-16. 



when righteousness is driven out from the places of men's resort, to the hiding-places of the 
earth. And this was not simply the result of the exigencies of his time, but was a life to 
which he took naturally, as an inhabitant of the region across the Jordan; for Gilead, the 
countiy east of the river, was pasture-land, and the tribes that remained there retained, with 
their flocks and herds, the rude, wandering habits of the children of the desert. But, in or- 
der to get a picture of Elijah before us, we have to see him not only in the light of this rude 
origin and life, but in the contrasts of Ahab's court. For in this alliance with the court 
of the Phoenician king, Ahab was introducing into Israel foreign manners and elegances, 
and a civilization far superior to his own ; and the contrast between the proud and gently 
nurtured Jezebel and the rough, stern prophet must have been striking. 



1 And ^ Elijah the Tishbite, wJio 
was of the inhabitants of Gilead, 
said unto Ahab, As the Lord God 
of Israel liveth, before whom I 
stand, there shall not be dew nor 
rain these years, but according to 
my word. 

2 And the w^ord of the Lord 
came unto him, saying, 

3 Get thee hence, and turn thee 
eastward, and hide thyself by the 
the brook Cherith, that is before 
Jordan. 

4 And it shall be, that thou shalt 
drink of the brook; and I have 
commanded the ravens to feed thee 
there. 



5 So he went and did according 
unto the word of the Lord : for he 
went and dwelt by the brook Cher- 
ith that is before Jordan. 

6 And the ravens brought him 
bread and flesh in the morning, and 
bread and flesh in the evening ; and 
he drank of the brook. 

7 And it came to pass ^ after a 
while, that the brook dried up, be- 
cause there had been no rain in the 
land. 

8 ^ And the word of the Lord 
came unto him, saying, 

9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, 
which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell 
there : behold, I have commanded a 
widow woman there to sustain thee. 



1 Heb. Elijahu. Luke i : 17, and 4: 25, he is called Elias. ^ Heb. at the end of days. 

NOTES. — I. Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gil- 
ead : In the original, Tishbite and inhabitants are spelled the same. Moreover, the word 
for i7ihabitants has another letter than the one so translated here; and, finally, it does 
not mean inhabiiatits, but sojoiirners, — persons resident in a place for a longer or shorter 
time, but not belonging there. Probably it should read, Elijah the Tishbite frotn Tishbz 
in Gilead. The location is unknown. Gilead is, strictly speaking, the country allotted to 
Gad, east of the Jordan, but the name is popularly applied to the trans-Jordanic country 
between the Sea of Tiberias and the Dead Sea. JSefore tvJiotn I stand : A phrase 
meaning whom I serve (see note on 12: 8, Lesson I.). Hut according to my tvord : 
He does not mean at his command, but according to his prediction. When the rain came, 
he was sent to predict it to the king. 

3. Get thee hence, and turn thee eastxvard : He was in Samaria, at the court of 
the king; and this was a command to hide himself from the anger of the king, aroused by his 
bold prediction. Probably the phrase before the Jordan indicates that it was east of the 
river. The brooh Cherith : The mountain torrents, or wadys, in Palestine were fed 
by the rains, and were very apt to dry up in the hot season. Such a torrent is meant here. 

4. Thou shalt drinh of the brooh; and I liave commanded the ravens 
to feed thee : God provides for his sustenance in such a way as to make any intercourse 
with men unnecessary. It is possible to translate the word {or ravens here., Arabians. 
But it is improbable that they would expose themselves to detection by coming twice a day 
(verse 6) ; and, besides, the other is more in accordance with the supernatural coloring of 
the whole story. 

9. Arise, get thee to Zarephath : His water-supply had been cut ofif, necessitating 
a change; and now the Lord sends him in the other direction, to the extreme north-west. 

95 



Lesson IV. 



ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. i Kings 17 : 1-16. 



10 So he arose and went to Zare- 
phath. And when he came to the 
gate of the city, behold, the widow 
woman was there gathering of 
sticks ; and he called to her, and 
said. Fetch me, I pray thee, a little 
water in a vessel, that I may drink. 

11 And as she was going to fetch 
it, he called to her, and said, Bring 
me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread 
in thine hand. 

12 And she said. As the Lord 
thy God liveth, I have not a cake, 
but a handful of meal in a barrel, 
and a little oil in a cruse ; and be- 
hold, I am gathering two sticks, that 



I may go in and dress it for me and 
my son, that we may eat it, and die. 

13 And Elijah said unto her, 
Fear not ; go and do as thou hast 
said : but make me thereof a little 
cake first, and bring it unto me, and 
after make for thee and for thy son. 

14 For thus saith the Lord God 
of Israel, The barrel of meal shall 
not waste, neither shall the cruse 
of oil fail, until the day that the 
Lord ^ sendeth rain upon the earth. 

15 And she went and did accord- 
ing to the saying of Elijah : and she, 
and he, and her house, did eat " many 
days. 



Y{.€z>. giveth. "^ Or, a ficll year. 



Zarephath, the New-Testament Sarepta, is in Syro-Phoenicia, beUveen Tyre and Sidon, 
and on the road skirting the coast that connects the two. This hiding in Sidonian terri- 
tory had this advantage, that no one would suspect his presence there. 

10. Heholdf thetvidoiv ivoman : A widow woman. The identification of her as 
the widow indicated by the Lord comes afterwards. It would be made known by her will- 
ingness to supply his wants out of her need, and eventually by her faith. Fetch me a lit- 
tle tvater : It was a time when the scarcity of water made all the other trouble; hence, 
the modest request of Elijah tested her hospitality. 

11. A. tnorsel of bread in thine hand : The lack of rain had by this time made 
a famine of food in the land, and the request for even a morsel of bread would be a severe 
test of a poor woman, a widow, gathering sticks. 

12. A.S the Ziord thy God liveth: As Jehovah thy God liveth. The woman was 
evidently a Phoenician woman, as the Jews had not penetrated into Syro-Phosnicia. It has 
been supposed that this is a recognition of Jehovah as the true God, implying that she was 
a Jewess, or at any rate a proselyte; but the language implies just the opposite: she says, 
Jehovah thy God. The recognition of Jehovah as a god is not singular in a heathen woman, 
as the idea of heathenism is polytheism. Moreover, in our Lord's use of this incident, he 
certainly regards the woman as a heathen (Luke 4: 24-27). I Jiave not a, cahe : 
Bread was made in the shape of flat cakes. A. handful of meal in a barrel, a lit- 
tle oil in a cruse: The barrel here is the vessel ordinarily used to draw water from 
a well, and the word is better rendered bucket. The cruse is a globular vessel, made of 
earthern ware, having a narrow neck, a handle, and a straight spout. The use of olive oil 
in the preparation of food is very common in the East. That we may eat it, and 
die : It was the last that she had, and after It, there was only death to look forward to. 

13. ]\Iake me thereof a little cahe first : This is the supreme test of the woman's 
faith. Elijah himself was evidently a man of faith, a seer; and the power of such men to 
impress others with their faith depends on the capacity for spiritual impression that they 
find in men. This case of the Syro-Phoenician woman shows that such faith may exist 
even among false religions, though it is a rare and abnormal growth (see Matt. 15: 21-28). 

14. Until the d((y that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth: Here 
there is a call for something more than mere general belief in supernatural powers. It is 
Jehovah, the God of Israel, who is to be recognized as the giver of food and the sender of 



15. Did eat many days : The phrase is translated in the margin a full year; and 
this is the meaning of the Hebrew word. But this limits the time, when it is more proba- 
ble that the larger part of the the time of the famine — three years and a half — was spent 

96 



Lesson V. ELIJAH MEETING AHAB. i Kittgs i8 : 1-18. 

16 ^;z^ the barrel of meal wasted I fail, according to the word of the 
not, neither did the cruse of oil \ Lord, which he spake ^ by Elijah, 

^ Heb. by the haiid of. 

by Elijah in Sarepta. The New Testament says in two places that the drought lasted three 
years and a half, and in this case the third year in i8: i must refer to the time of Elijah's 
stay with the widow (Luke 4: 25; Jas. 5: 17). It is not by any means an insignificant 
feature of this narrative that Elijah was made to depend, during two years and more of his 
exile from Israel on a devotee of the religion, for his opposition to which he was in hiding. 



LESSON V. 

ELIJAH MEETING AHAB. — 1 Kings 18: 1-18. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — The famine in Israel came to an end, as it had begun, at 
the word of the Lord by Elijah; but its end was brought about in such a way as to im- 
press on the nation, even more than its announcement and progress, the fact that it was 
Jehovah's judgment on them for their worship of false gods. The king, with the " mayor 
of the palace," an officer of high rank, had gone out to make a personal inspection of the 
land, and find any remnants of herbage that might be left still by the springs and brooks, to 
keep the cattle from starving; for the famine was sore in the land. Just at this time Elijah 
appeared again, commissioned to announce that the Lord, whose judgment had withheld 
the rain, would send it again, and inspired also to show the emptiness of the Baal worship. 
He had been in hiding over three years, and meantime the king had been searching for him 
through all the surrounding countries, and putting their kings under oath to deliver him up 
if they found him; and now he suddenly re-appears, and, in spite of the remonstrances of 
the loyal Obadiah, he demands that the king be sent for to meet him. His hiding had an 
appearance of weakness about it; but, when he meets Ahab, he asserts the ascendency of 
the man of God over the king, so that the meaning of the three years' famine was burned 
into his mind. 



1 And it came to pass after xxi'^ny 
days, that the worcl of the Lord 
came to Elijah in the third year, 
saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab ; 
and I will send rain upon the earth, 

2 And Elijah went to shew him- 



self unto Ahab. And there was a 
sore famine in Samaria. 

3 And Ahab called ^ Obadiah, 
which zvas ~ the governor of his house. 
Now Obadiah feared the Lord 
greatly •■. 



Heb. Obadiahu. 2 Heb. over his house. 



NOTES. — I. Ill the third year : Of his hiding in Zarephath (see note on 17: 15, 
Lesson IV.). A.nd I tvill send rain xipon the earth (see Jer. 14: 22): UJ>on 
the ground translates the language better. 

2. And tliere was a sore famine : And the famine was strong, or violent. The 
adjective denotes not so much the oppressiveness of the famine, as its power. In Sa^ 
ma via : In chapter 13; 32; 21: i, Samaria is used of the kingdom, and not the city, a 
use that evidently belongs to the later time in which the book was written, and not to the 
time about which it writes; and it seems probable that this is the meaning here, though it 
is possible that it means that the severity of the famine in the royal city caused them to go 
out over the land to seek food for their animals. 

3. Obadiah, tvJiicJi ivasthe governor of his house: The marginal rendering 
is over his house. The officer who had charge of the palace and the royal household, with 

97 



Lesson V. ELIJAH MEETING AHAB. i Kings iS : i-iS. 

4 For it was so, when ^ Jezebel cut ' knew him, and fell on his face, and 



off the prophets of the Lord, that 
Obadiah took an hundred prophets, 
and hid them by fift\- in a cave, and 
fed them with bread and water.) 

5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, 
Go into the land, unto all fountain: 



said. Art thou that my lord Elijah ? 

8 And he answered him, I am : 
go, tell thy lord. Behold, Elijah is 
here. 

9 And he said, \S'hat have I 
sinned, that thou wouldest deliver 



of water, and unto all brooks : per- i thy servant into the hand of Ahab, 



adventure we may find grass to save 
the horses and mules alive, ^ that we 
lose not all the beasts. 

6 So they divided the land be- 
tween them to pass throughout it: 
Ahab went one way by himself, and 
Obadiah went another way bv him- 
self. 

7 ^ And as Obadiah was in the 
way, behold, Elijah met him : and he 



to slay me ? 

ID As the Lord thy God liveth, 
there is no nation or kingdom, 
whither my lord hath not sent to 
seek thee : and when they said, He 
is not there ; he took an oath of the 
kingdom and nation, that they found 
thee not. 

1 1 And now thou sayest. Go, tell 
thy lord. Behold, Elijah is here. 



^ Heb. Izehel. ^ Heb. that loe cut not off o\a:s£i-^es from the leasts. 

its reinue c: a::ezda-L5, -^vas hi-h in rank and personally near the king. JVoif Ohadiah 
feared the JLoi'd greatly : This is inserted here to explain the scene \t-ith Elijah. It 
is an indication that the king, in establishing Baal worship, did not himself reject nor ostra- 
cise the worship of Jehovah, that he should have one of his devout worshippers near his 
own person. The cutting off of the prophets of the Lord narrated in the next verse 'A^as 
not owing probably to their worship of Jehovah, but to their denunciation of the Baal wor- 
ship. Polytheism is tolerant of any worship, but not of any opposition to itsel£ 

4. For it teas so : And it came to pass. The prophets of the ILord : The 
prophets were the inspired reUgious teachers of the nation; but the term includes proba- 
bly many who were educated in the school of the prophets, but who did not receive the 
inspiration necessary to fit them for the oSce. CSee 2 Kings 2: 3, 5; 4: 3S; 6: i; where 
the term sons denotes disciples.^ 

5. Fountains of water, and , . . bi'OoJcs : Streams fed by perennial springs, 
and those fed by the rains, which dried up after the rainy season, are meant. Ferad- 
venture ice may find : This close search for grass, and the doubt about finding it after 
all, indicate the severity of the famine. TJiat we lose not all the betists : Lose not 
of the beasts. 

6. Sij Jiitnself: Apart from each other, but not imattended. 

7. He fell on his face : As a follower of Jehovah, Obadiah recognizes Elijah's supe- 
riority, in spite of his own higher official position, -irf thou that my lord Elijah ? 
Art thou here, my Lord Elijah ? His addressing the prophet as lord is another note of his 
extreme deference for him. The question denotes ms surprise at the presence of the out- 
lawed prophet. 

8. Fehold, Flijah is here : In the original, it is simply. Behold, Elijah, which is 
much stronger. The answer mnst have added to Obadiah's astonishment. Elijah is not 
only here, but he wishes the message carried to the king. 

9. What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver: That thou givest. 
The way in which he feared that this would come about is given in verse 12. After he had 
informed the king of the presence of the hated Elijah, the prophet would be caught away 
by the Spirit of the Lord; and the king, not finding him, would slay the man who had 
seemed to deceive him with false tidings. 

10. There is no nation or kingdom : That is, none of v»-hich the king could 
exact, either through friendship or force, such an oath as is described in the latter part of 
the verse. This shows how eager the king was to lay his hands on the man who seemed to 

98 



Lesson VI. 



THE PROPHETS OF BAAL, i Kings i8 : 19-29. 



12 And it shall come to pass, as 
soon as I am gone from thee, that the 
Spirit of the LoRD shall carry thee 
whither I know not ; and so when I 
come and tell Ahab, and he cannot 
find thee, he shall slay me : but I 
thy servant fear the Lord from my 
youth. 

13 Was it not told my lord what 
I did when Jezebel slew the proph- 
ets of the Lord, how I hid an hun- 
dred men of the Lord's prophets by 
fifty in a cave, and fed them with 
bread and water ? 

14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell 
thy lord. Behold, Elijah is here: and 
he shall slay me. 



15 And Elijah said. As the Lord 
of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, 
I will surely shew myself unto him 
to day. 

16 So Obadiah went to meet 
Ahab, and told him : and Ahab 
went to meet Elijah. 

17 And it came to pass, when 
Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said 
unto him, ^r^thou he that troubleth 
Israel ? 

18 And he answered, I have not 
troubled Israel ; but thou, and thy 
father's house, in that ye have for- 
saken the commandments of the 
Lord, and thou hast followed Baal- 



be the author of the calamity from which the land was suffering, and how disappointed and 
angry it would make him, to have his hopes raised only to be dashed again. 

12. The Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee I hnotv not tvhitJier : This 
may mean either that the Spirit would transport him supernaturally to some unknown 
place, or simply that it would lead him away by some strong impulse. The former is 
apparently the meaning in 2 Kings 2:16; and the latter in Ezek. 3:12-14; Matt. 4:1; 
Acts 8: 39. In Ezek. 8: 3, the reference is to a vision in which the spirit was transported 
to a certain place, but not the body. In the absence of any evidence or certain indication 
of the reference to a supernatural carrying, it probably denotes the leading simply. Stct 
I . . . fear the Lord from my yotitJt : He adduces this as a reason why he 
should be spared such an exposure to the wrath of the king. 

15. A.S tJie Lord of Jiosfs liveth : As Jehovah of hosts liveth. The hosts are the 
armies of heaven, the angels. On the phrase " before whom I stand," see on 12: 8, Les- 
son I.; it means " whom I serve." 

17. j4.rt thoti he that trotibleth Israel ? Art thou here, that troubles! Israel ? 
It is an expression of surprise that he should dare to show himself after bringing famine on 
the land. 

18, I have not troubled Israel ; hut thou, and thy father's house : It is 
not the prophet who denounces evil on a sinful nation or ruler, that can be said to cause its 
evil, but the person or people that commits the sin. And tJiou hast followed Dnal- 
im : Baalim is the plural of Baal, and denotes the several forms under which the god was 
worshipped in different localities, such as Baal-ze-bub, the Beelzebub of the New Testa- 
ment; Baal-peor, and the like. Elijah's boldness before the king is one of the striking 
things about this story. 



LESSON VI. 



THE PROPHETS OF BAAL. — 1 Kings 18:19-29. 

A GENERAL yj27W. — Elijah had prophesied the famine, had retreated from the 
wrath of the king and of Jezebel, and at the word of the Eord had appeared to Ahab again, 
and charged him with being the guilty cause of the famine, of which he was himself only 
the prophet. But it was evident that his work was not accomplished yet. The king and 
the people might still say that while it was proved that Jehovah was a god, which, in fact, 
they never doubted, it still remained to be proved that Baal was no god. And this is the 
question which Elijah now proposes to put to the directest kind of test, so that it shall be 

99 



Lesson VI. 



THE PROPHETS OF BAAL, i Ki7igs 18 : 19-29. 



19 Now therefore send, and gath- 
er to me all Israel unto mount Car- 
mel, and the prophets of Baal four 
hundred and fifty, and the prophets 
of the groves four hundred, which 
eat at Jezebel's table. 

20 So Ahab sent unto all the 
children of Israel, and gathered the 
prophets together unto mount Car- 
mel. 



21 And Elijah came unto all the 
people, and said, How long halt ye 
between two ^ opinions ? if the Lord 
be God, follow him : but if Baal, 
theJi follow him. And the people 
answered him not a word. 

22 Then said Elijah unto the 
people, I, even I only, remain a 
prophet of the Lord; but Baal's 
prophets are four hundred and fifty 



I Or, thoughts. 



unmistakably shown that Jehovah is God, and that Baal is no god. For this purpose he 
avails himself of the ascendency that he has acquired over the king by the fearlessness of 
his demeanor, and orders him to summon the people, and the four hundred and fifty proph- 
ets of Baal, and four hundred prophets of Asherah, to Mount Carmel. Why he chose this 
site, we cannot tell. It was not central, and possibly he did not wish it to be; but it is said 
to be one of the most striking and picturesque objects in Palestine. It is a wooded ridge 
twelve miles long, the north-western end of which makes the only headland along the coast, 
and the southern shore of the only bay. It is not only thickly and beautifully wooded, but 
profusely decorated with brilliant flowers. Its name is meant to describe this beauty, 
Carmel meaning park. But while this adds to the picturesqueness of the most dramatic 
scene in Old-Testament history, it was not probably the reason of the prophet's choice. 
That was more likely owing to the outlook that it afforded the prophet to watch for the 
coming clouds. At any rate, the prophet ordered the people to be gathered here to see 
which deity would answer by fire, and so prove himself the true God. 

NOTES. — 19. All Israel: As distinguished from Judah. The ten tribes forming 
the northern kingdom. The j^^'OjyJtets of Metal : In the Jewish system the prophets 
and priests were distinguished from each other; but in the heathen systems the priests 
were the prophets, that is, the religious teachers of the people. Properly speaking, they 
were priests, the ministers of a ritual service ; but here the term prophet is used to bring out 
the correspondence between them and the prophet of Jehovah. Tlie pvopJiets of tlie 
groves: Of Asherah (see note on i6: 33, Lesson III.). WhieJi eat at tfezebel's 
table : From Jezebel's table. They were supplied with food from the queen's table. 

20. And (jathered the jyrophets together 'irnio mount Carmel: Tradition 
has preserved the probable site of the gathering at the south-eastern end of the ridge, at the 
point nearest to Jezreel. The Arabian name of the place signifies i/ie huriiing, or the 
sacrifice. The wood for the sacrifice would be found anywhere on the ridge ; but here was 
an unfailing spring of water not to be found elsewhere in this time of drought, and a con- 
venient place for the gathering of the people. 

21. Mow long halt ye between two opinions? Elijah's whole endeavor was 
directed to forcing the people to choose between Jehovah and Baal, instead of occupying 
a position between them, calling both gods, and serving one or the other, as chance dic- 
tated. If the lord be God : If Jehovah be God. Elijah's alternative is one God or 
the other. He does not admit two gods. Tlte j^eople aiiswe)-ed, Jrini not a icord : 
They were unwilling to accept the prophet's alternative, as their creed was several gods; 
and they preferred Baal with his sensuous worship to the strictness and moral requirements 
of the worship of Jehovah, especially as the former was now the religion of the court. 

22. I only remain a projihef of the lord : That is, the only one remaining in 
the performance of his office. The rest were hiding away from the cruelty of Jezebel. 
Elijah emphasizes this in order to enhance the value of his victory over the prophets of 
Baal, to which he looked forward so confidently. 



Lesson VI. 



THE PROPHETS OF BAAL, i Rings i8 : 19-29. 



23 Let them therefore give us two 
bullocks ; and let them choose one 
bullock for themselves, and cut it 
in pieces, and lay it on wood, and 
put no fire 7inde7- : and I will dress 
the other bullock, and lay it on 
wood, and put no fire tinder : 

24 And call ye on the name of 
your gods, and I will call on the 
name of the Lord : and the God 
that answereth by fire, let him be 
God. And all the people answered 
and said, ^ It is well spoken. 

25 And Elijah said unto the 
prophets of Baal, jChoose you one 
bullock for yourselves, and dress it 
first ; for ye are many ; and call on 
the name of your gods, but put no 
fire tinder. 



26 And they took the bullock 
which was given them, and they 
dressed it, and called on the name of 
Baal from morning even until noon, 
saying, O Baal, ^ hear us. But t]iere 
-ivas no voice, nor any that ^ answered. 
And they '^ leaped upon the altar 
which was made. 

27 And it came to pass at noon, 
that Elijah mocked them, and said, 
Cry ^ aloud : for he is a god ; either 
^he is talking, or he ^is pursuing, or 
he is in a journey, or peradventure 
he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 

28 And they cried aloud, and cut 
themselves after their manner with 
knives and lancets, till ^ the blood 
gushed out upon them. 



* Heb. The word '\s good. 2 Qr, answer. 3 Or, heard. ^ Or, leaped 7tp and down 
at the altar. 5 Heb. with a great -voice. & Or, he ineditateth. 7 Heb. hath a 
p>2irsuit. ^ Heb. poiired ozit blood upon them. 



23. Xef tliem therefore give us ttvo hulloclcs ; and let them choose one 
hullocJc : Elijah is careful to arrange it so that there shall be no appearance of unfair advan- 
tage. The bullocks were to be given them, and the prophets of Baal were to choose theirs, 
leaving him the other, jlnd I tvill dress the other bnUocJc : Sacrifice the other. 

24. A.nd call ye on the na^ne of i/our gods: Your god; that is, Baal. And I 
will call on the name of the Lord : Of Jehovah. The God that answereth 
hy fire : God had done this before; e.g., when David made his offering to stay the plague, 
and when Solomon dedicated the temple (see i Chron. 21 : 36 ; 2 Chron. 7 : 1,3). It is ivell 
spoJcen : The word is good. They were unwilling to decide the matter for themselves, 
but they were willing to have it decided for them in this exciting and spectacular manner. 

25. Dress it first : Sacrifice first. For ye are many : There was a certain ad- 
vantage in coming last in this trial, since defeat would be less noticed, and triumph more, 
in that position ; and Elijah gives as a reason for their conceding him this, that they are 
many against one. Yotir gods : Your god (see on verse 24). 

26. A.nd they dressed it : And sacrificed. O Baal, hear tfs : Answer us. 
Probably this was the refrain, continually repeated, of an invocation addressed to their god. 
Stit there tvas no voice, nor any that anstvered : See Ps. 115:5, 8: Jer. 10: 5. 
They leaped upon the altar : They leaped up and down at the altar. This frenzied 
dancing is characteristic of Eastern worship, especially as an expression of excited feeling. 
The continued failure of response worked their feelings up, and from shouting they went to 
dancing. 

27. Elijah mocJted them : In the spirit characteristic of Hebrew prophecy, which 
was continually mocking and satirizing the nullity and futility of idol-worship (see espe- 
cially Isa. 44: 8-20). Cry aloud: With a great voice. He incites them to redouble 
their much speaking and their vain repetitions, for which, or by which, they expect to make 
themselves heard. Either he is tallHng, or lie is pursuing : For he is meditating, 
or he is gone aside. The first verb may mean either meditating or talking; and the form.er 
is preferable, since meditation would prevent hearing, rather than talking. The 
second verb means that he has retired, or gone aside for something. These are representa- 
tions in accordance with the ordinary anthropomorphic heathen conceptions of their gods. 
Their actions and failings were those of men. 

28. A.nd they cried aloud : With a loud voice. Elijah's ironical incitements proved 



Lesson VII. THE PROPHET OF THE LORD, i Kings iS : 30-46. 

29 And it came to pass, when mid- j evening sacrifice, that there was 
day was past, and they prophesied ! neither voice, nor any to answer, 
until the time of the ^ offering of the [ nor any ^ that regarded. 



Heb. ascending. 2 Heb. attention. 



effective. Cut themselves with knives and lancets : And lances, or spears. 
This cutting gashes in their bodies, like the dancing, is another part of the rude and 
wild Oriental method of expressing religious feelings. It is attributable partly to frenzy, 
but partly also to the crude sacrificial ideas of the times, that the gods are pleased with 
mere suffering and blood, and receive it in expiation of any offence against them. It marks 
the climax of their frenzied feelings. 

29. A.nd they irroiihesied until the ojfering . . . of the evening sacrifice, 
that : That they prophesied until the offering . . . and. By prophesied is meant the 
utterance of speech under the influence of religious feeling, or any frenzied utterance (see 
I Sam. 18: 10; 2 Kings 9: 11 ; Jer. 29: 26). In the nobler use of the word, it denotes speech 
under a divine influence; but it ranges all the way from this to the raving of a madman. 
The mixture of ideas by which inspiration and madness are connected is found in all 
languages. 

LESSOxN VII. 

THE PROPHET OF THE LORD. — 1 Kings 18 : 30-46. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — There are several things to be noted in this lesson. First, 
that Elijah used an altar of the Lord, belonging, evidently, to the old worship of the high 
places, which was abolished at the time of building the temple. This affords a hint of the 
way in which the question of worship in the northern kingdom might have been adjusted, 
if Jeroboam had not taken the matter into his own hands. Second, that Elijah rebuilt the 
altar of twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes, so signifj'ing the religious 
unity of the nation, which God did not mean should be interrupted by the broken political 
unity. Third, that he manifested distinctly the spirit of the old dispensation in command- 
ing the prophets of Baal to be slain, the same spirit for which Jesus rebuked his disciples 
before the village of Samaria. Fourth, that he felt so sure that the submission of the peo- 
ple to Jehovah would bring the rain, that he heard the noise of a great rain before a cloud 
was to be seen; and, when a cloud like a man's hand was seen, he warned Ahab of a tem- 
pest. And, fifth, the picture of Elijah with his leathern girdle buckled tightly around him, 
and the hand of the Lord upon him, outstripping the horses attached to the chariot of Ahab 
in their flight before the storm over the fifteen miles that lay between Carmel and Jezreel, 
is a fitting climax to the wonderful storj'. 

30 And Elijah said unto all the; 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, 
people, Come near unto me. And \ according to the number of the 
all the people came near unto him. ; tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto 
And he repaired the altar of the whom the word of the Lord came. 
Lord that was broken down. saying, Israel shall be thy name : 

NOTES. — 30. Coyne near nnto me: He calls the people off from watching the 
unsuccessful attempts of the priests of Baal, and during the little time left before the even- 
ing sacrifice he fastens their attention on him. The altar of the Lord that ivas 
broken doivu : There had been no stated place for worship before the building of the 
temple at Jerusalem, and these altars were erected on all the high places through the land. 
They had been thrown down, however; probably by the order of the king at the same time 
that the prophets of the Lord were cut off (see 18: 4, 13; 19: 10). 

31. A.ccordinfj to the mimber of the tribes of the sons of Jacob : Every 
thing in the narrative indicates that the division of the kingdom was according to the word 
of Jehovah, and there is no sign that it was considered a sin; but the separation from 

102 



Lesson VII. THE PROPHET OF THE LORD, i Kings i8 : 30-46. 



32 And with the stones he built 
an altar in the name of the Lord ; 
and he made a trench about the 
altar, as great as would contain two 
measures of seed. 

33 And he put the wood in order, 
and cut the bullock in pieces, and 
laid him on the wood, and said, Fill 
four barrels with water, and pour it 
on the burnt sacrifice, and on the 
wood. 

34 And he said, Do it the second 
time. And they did it the sec- 
ond time. And he said. Do it the 
third time. And they did it the 
third time. 

35 And the water ^ ran roundabout 



the altar; and he filled the trench 
also with water. 

36 And it came to pass at the 
time of the offering of the evening 
sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet 
came near, and said, Lord God of 
Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it 
be known this day that thou art God 
in Israel, and that I am thy servant, 
and that I have done all these things 
at thy word. 

37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, 
that this people may know that thou 
art the Lord God, and that thou 
hast turned their heart back again. 

38. Then the fire of the Lord fell, 
and consumed the burnt sacrifice, 



^ Heb. went. 



Judah in the pure worship of the one God, and the setting up first of the calf-worship, and 
then of the Baal worship, the former being intended to emphasize and perpetuate the separa- 
tion, was a sin. The twelve stones were intended to remind the people of this religious 
unity of the divided nation, and of the sin of breaking it up. Unto whom the word of 
the Lord came, saying, Israel shall he thy name (see Gen. 32: 28; 35: 10): 
The author here, in putting a meaning into Elijah's act, recalls the fact that this name Israel, 
by which the ten tribes of the northern kingdom styled themselves, belonged originally to 
the ancestor of the entire people, and that it was a name by which the connection of the 
people with God was signalized; and yet here they were breaking away altogether from that 
sacred relation, while appropriating to themselves a name belonging to the people of God. 

32. A.nd he made a trench about the altar : To hold the water poured over the 
sacrifice, so that the altar should be surrounded by water, and the impressiveness of the 
final scene be increased. Ttvo measures of seed : The measure meant here is about 
three gallons. 

33. Four barrels : Four pitchers or jars, such as they used in carrying water on the 
head. (See Gen. 24: 14-20, where the same word is used.) 

34. Do it the second time . . . and the third time: So as to completely 
soak the firewood and the sacrifice, and fill the trench. 

36. At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice : Probably three 
o'clock. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel : O Jehovah, the 
God. This addressing Jehovah as the God of their fathers was intended to bring back the 
people to a sense of God's claim on them, and to a remembrance of that wonderful national 
history over which God had presided. In breaking away from him, they were breaking 
with that wonderful past. And that I am thy servant, and that I have done 
all these things at thy word : They still acknowledged Jehovah in a certain way; 
but the question to be decided that day was, whether Elijah represented him truly in claim- 
ing for him an exclusive worship, and in denouncing the worship of Baal. Was Jehovah, 
unlike the heathen gods, a jealous God ? 

37. That thou art the Lord God : That thou, Jehovah, art the God. And that 
thou hast turned their heart back again : Thou mayest turn. A part of the 
object of God's hearing him. 

38. Then, the fire of the Lord fell: Not lightning, since there were no clouds at 
this time, but a supernatural fire. Moreover, it consumed not only the perishable wood 
and flesh, but the solid stones and earth (dust) , of which the altar was built, and the water. 
Dust : Earth, with which the stone frame, or wall, of the altar was filled. 

103 



Lesson VIL THE PROPHET OF THE LORD, i Kmgs i8 : 30-46. 



and the wood, and the stones, and 
the dust, and licked up the water 
that tvas in the trench. 

39 And when all the people saw 
it, thev fell on their faces : and they 
said, The Lord, he is the God; the 
Lord, he is the God. 

40 And Elijah said unto them, 
^ Take the prophets of Baal ; let not 
one of them escape. And they took 
them: and Elijah brought them 
down to the brook Kishon, and 
slew them there. 

41 \ And Elijah said unto Ahab, 
Get thee up, eat and drink ; for there 
is a ^ sound of abundance of rain. 

42 So Ahab went up to eat and 
to drink. And Elijah went up to the 
top of Carmel ; and he cast himself 
down upon the earth, and put his 
face between his knees, 



43 And said to his servant, Go 
up now, look toward the sea. And 
he went up, and looked, and said, 
There is nothing. And he said. Go 
again seven times. 

44 And it came to pass at the 
seventh time, that he said. Behold, 
there ariseth a little cloud out of the 
sea, like a man's hand. And he 
said. Go up, say unto Ahab, ^ Pre- 
pare thy chariot, and get thee down, 
that the rain stop thee not. 

45 And it came to pass in the 
mean while, that the heaven was 
black with clouds and wind, and 
there was a great rain. And Ahab 
rode, and went to Jezreel. 

46 And the hand of the Lord was 
on Elijah ; and he girded up his 
loins, and ran before Ahab * to the 
entrance of Jezreel. 



^ Or, Apprehend. ^ Or, a sound of a noise of rain. 3 Heb. Tie, or. Bind. ^ Heb. 
till thou come to Jezreel. 

39. Tlie Lord, he i.s the God : Jehovah, he is the God. The people are comnnced; 
and yet it is only a temporary conviction that such a display wrought, or will ever work. 
They flashed out into a temporary enthusiasm, that exhausted itself in slaying the prophets 
of Baal. But when the Lord appears to Elijah at Horeb, the encouragement that he brings 
is not that the people have turned from following Baal, but that there are seven thousand 
left that have not bowed the knee to Baal. 

40. Take the jyvophets of liaal : The test of their returning loj-altj^ is as primitive, 
it belongs as distinctly to the old order of things that has passed away, as the test of the 
sole deity of Jehovah. Both are striking; but it is an evil and adulterous generation that 
seeks such signs, or such safeguards against evil. TJie brook Kishon : A river which, 
with its widespreading tributaries, drains the plain of Esdrselon. The river itself flows par- 
allel with the ridge of Carmel, and empties into the bay into which projects the northern 
end of the mountain. Probably Elijah slew the prophets on its bank, in order to throw 
their bodies into the stream, which the coming storm would turn into a fierce torrent. 

41. Get thee tip, eat and drink : The sacrifice was to be followed by a sacrificial 
feast, by partaking of which in the presence of the people Ahab would stand pledged to the 
service of Jehovah, whose triumph over Baal it celebrated. For tJiere is a soidid of 
abundance of rain : A reason for feasting, that had not been knov/n in the land for 
three years. These premonitions of rain existed only in Elijah's prophetic soul. 

42. To the top of Carmel: To a point near the summit, from which his ser\-ant 
went to the very top. A.nd he cast himself down iipon the earth, and put 
his face between his knees : An attitude of profound and absorbed prayer. 

43. Seven times: A complete number. 

44. A little cloud ont of the sea, like a man's hand : A very small cloud on 
the horizon, which, however, is often a presage of a storm. Prepare thy chariot: 
Simply harness, om\\.tmg the words thy chariot. TJiaf tJie rain stop thee not: 
The rushing rain. He sees no ordinary rain, but a great storm coming. 

46. The hand of the Lord tvas on Elijah: The inspiration and supernatural 
power under which he had been acting all day continued. Ahab urged his horses to their 
utmost speed to escape the storm, but Elijah outran them fifteen miles. He wished to hold 
himself ready to watch the king in this great crisis of the kingdom; and yet, with the char- 
acteristic caution of a child of the desert, he stayed outside the gates. 

104 



Lesson VIII. 



ELIJAH AT HOREB. 



Kings 19 : 1-18. 



LESSON VIII. 

ELIJAH AT HOREB. — 1 Kings 19 : 1-18. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — Elijah at Carmel is one of the most striking of the scenes 
and figures of Old-Testament history; but it would be incomplete, and misleading even, 
without the sequel at Horeb, the mount of God. The fierce and zealous prophet is there 
taught in a parable, that it is a partial and delusive view of God on which he has been act- 
ing. He must have come to Jezreel with the intention of following up his triumph over the 
prophets of Baal, and making the proud Jezebel feel the weight of the divine indignation; 
but, when the queen showed an undaunted and vengeful front, the spirit seems to have gone 
suddenly out of him, and he fled for his life into the wilderness. He had been upheld by 
a divine inspiration through the scenes of the preceding days ; but in some way that was 
withdrawn, and he was left to feel his isolation and helplessness. Once in the wilderness, 
in the midst of its great solitudes, Jehovah appeared to him again, and taught him two 
lessons. First, that God is not in the wind, the earthquake and the fire, — the symbols of the 
power and wrath by which Elijah at Carmel had sought to convince the people that Jehovah 
is the true God, — but rather in the still small voice. There is no mistaking the lesson. It 
means that God does not establish his kingdom over men by the methods of force and 
wrath, but by the gentle persuasions of the truth. The second lesson is, that God's prophet 
must not be discouraged by the difficulties and delays that he meets in his work. There is 
a remnant left, — seven thousand men that have not bowed the knee to Baal. And Elijah 
is to go back to his work therefore, assured that he is not left alone; since the gracious 
and redeeming, if not the exacting and terrible, God is with him. 



1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that 
Elijah had done, and withal how he 
had slain all the prophets with the 
sword. 

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger 
unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods 
do to me, and more also, if I make 
not thy life as the life of one of them 
by to-morrow about this time. 

3 And when he saw that, he arose, 



and went for his life, and came to 
Beer-sheba, which beloiigeth to Judah, 
and left his servant there. 

4 But he himself went a day's 
journey into the wilderness, and 
came and sat down under a juniper 
tree : and he requested ^ for himself 
that he might die ; and said. It is 
enough ; now, O Lord, take away 
my life ; for I am not better than my 
fathers. 



^ Heb. for his life. 



NOTES. — 1. AJiab told Jezehel : Remember that Jezebel was a Phoenician prin- 
cess, the daughter of the king of the Sidonians, who was himself a priest of Baal before he 
became king. 

2. So let the gods do to me, and more also : On this form of oath, see Ruth i : 
17; 2 Kings 6: 31 

3. A.nd ivJien he saw that, he arose, and. went for his life : A very slight 
change in the Hebrew word would make the first clause read, A72d he feared, which cer- 
tainly makes better sense. It is so translated in the Septuagint. To Heerslieha : The 
southernmost place in the land, and right on the edge of the wilderness. It belonged 
originally to the tribe of Simeon; but as the district occupied by this tribe belonged territo- 
rially to the southern kingdom, it is said here to belong to Judah, — that is, the kingdom 
and not the tribe. His servant : Tradition says that he was the son of the Sidonian 
woman, restored by Elijah to life. 

4. A. day's journey into the tvilderrtess : The wilderness of Arabia, stretching 
south of Palestine to Mount Sinai and the Red Sea. Under a juniper tree : Genista, 

105 



VIII. 



ELIJAH AT HOREB. 



I Kings 19 : 1-18. 



5 And as he lay and slept under a 
juniper tree, behold, then an angel 
touched him, and said unto him, 
Arise a)id eat. 

6 And he looked, and, behold, 
there was a cake baken on the coals, 
and a cruse of water at his ^ head. 
And he did eat and drink, and laid 
him down again. 

7 And the angel of the Lord came 
again the second time, and touched 
him, and said, Arise rtwc/eat ; because 
the journey is too great for thee. 

8 And he arose, and did eat and 
drmk, and went in the strength of 



that meat forty days and forty nights 
unto Horeb the mount of God. 

9 And he came thither unto a 
cave, and lodged there ; and, behold, 
the word of the Lord coj/ie to him, 
and he said unto him, What doest 
thou here, Elijah.? 

10 And he said, I have been very 
jealous for the Lord God of hosts : 
for the children of Israel have for- 
saken thy covenant, thrown down 
thine altars, and slain thy prophets 
with the sword ; and I, eveti I only, 
am left ; and they seek my life, to 
take it away. 



Heb. bolster: 



or broom, more probably, — a shrub growing in the Arabian desert, with whitish flowers and 
a bitter root. That he tnight die : The fierce threat of Jezebel had taken out of him 
the courage and lofty spirit displayed on Carmel; and now the bold prophet seeks to die, 
rather than face the troubles of life. There is profound psychological truth in this contrast. 
The spirit that can be so exalted is equally liable to sudden and deep depression; or, 
rather, if we seek deeper into the cause of this, we shall find that there is always some mis- 
calculation in the exalted mood that is so suddenly reversed, leading surely to disappointment 
and so to depression. In Elijah's case, as we have seen, he had in his mind the ordinary 
Jewish conception of God as a powerful king, victorious and vengeful, which caused the 
people so many disappointments. So he despaired of God's cause in the world sometimes, 
if he did not see it outwardly victorious. I am not better tliaii my fatJiers : He 
sees that they have died, and gone to their place, without doing any thing great for God; 
and, though he seemed to have been on the verge of something better, he feels now that he 
is a weak man, like them, and that there is nothing but death left for him. 

5. Under a juniper tree: A broom-shrub (see above). 

6. A^ cake haUen on the coals : Not a fire with a cake on it, but a cake that had 
been so baked. A. cruse of tvater : See note on 17: 12, Lesson IV. 

7. The angel . . , came again the second time: It is implied, though not 
stated, that he brought food this time also. Because the journey is too great for 
thee : That is, the journey to Horeb, two hundred miles away, where God was to appear 
to him. It would be too great for him, unless he partook of this " angel's food." 

8. Went in the strength oftJiat meat forty days : With the exception, proba- 
bly, of such food — locusts, roots, and the like — as the wilderness furnished. This was not 
a direct journey, which would have taken only ten days, but a wandering in the wilderness, 
where he could be alone with his thoughts. TJie mount of God : The place in which 
God manifested himself to Moses, and gave the law (see Ex. 3: 1-12; 4: 27; Deut. 4: 10, 
15; 29: 1). Horeb and Sinai are interchanged in the biblical accounts of the same event, 
and are apparently substantially identical. The mountain is nine thousand feet high, and 
is in the southern part of the peninsula, lying between the two horns of the Red Sea. 

9. JJnto a cave : The cave, known probably to the writer, but not to us. 

10. I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts : Not simply zeal- 
C7(s, as some interpreters explain it, huijealo7(s, — the feeling excited by defection from God, 
or by the lack of proper reverence and love for him. On the term God 0/ hosts, see note on 
18: 15, Lesson V. Have forsaken thy covenant: The covenant contained in the 
law, according to which the nation pledged itself to obedience, and God to blessing. 
Throtvn dotvn thine altars: The one sanctuary prescribed in the law had existed 
only during the reign of David and Solomon, and of course was impossible after the divis- 

106 



Lesson VIII. 



ELIJAH AT HOREB. 



I Kings 19 : 1-18. 



11 And he said, Go forth, and 
stand upon the mount before the 
Lord. And, behold, the Lord 
passed by, and a great and strong 
wind rent the mountains, and brake 
in pieces the rocks before the Lord ; 
bnt the Lord mas not in the wind : 
and after the wind an earthquake ; 
but the Lord was not in the earth- 
quake. 

12 And after the earthquake a fire ; 
but\\v& Lord was not in the fire : and 
after the fire a still small voice. 

13 And it was so, when Elijah 
heard it, that he wrapped his face in 
his mantle, and went out, and stood 
in the entering in of the cave. And, 



behold, there came a voice unto him, 
and said, What doest thou here, 
Elijah .? 

14 And he said, I have been very 
jealous for the Lord God of hosts : 
because the children of Israel have 
forsaken thy covenant, thrown down 
thine altars, and slain thy prophets 
with the sword ; and I, even I only, 
am left; and they seek my life to 
take it away. 

1 5 And the Lord said unto him, 
Go, return on thy way to the wilder- 
ness of Damascus : and when thou 
comest, anoint Hazael to be king over 
Syria : 



ion of the kingdom. The many sacred places, with their ahars, became the necessity of 
the northern kingdom, as it had been the custom of the whole nation. They seek tny 
life, to take it away : Here was one secret of Elijah's despondency. Not simply the 
wrath of Jezebel, but the fickleness of a false people, made him afraid for his life. 

II. A.nd, behold, the JLord passed by : The Septuagint translates this T/ie Lord 
ivill pass hy ; and so throughout the paragraph to verse 12; making this the announce- 
ment of the angel. This would show how Elijah would understand, or how it became 
known at all, that the Lord was not in the tempest, earthquake, or fire; but it makes a 
gap in the narrative, as it omits all mention of these things, outside of the announcement of 
the angel. It is possible to translate the Hebrew tenses so, and it is interesting to note it 
as a possible explanation of a difficulty. Notice that it says, " A great . . . wind rent the 
mountains . . . before the Lord," so distinguishing the wind from the Lord, and also the 
action of the wind from the passing by of the Lord. How striking it is to find embedded in 
this Old-Testament history this parable, teaching so exactly the spirit of the new dispensa- 
tion just where it differs so radically from the old ! But it illustrates the general truth, that 
there is no sharp line of division between the new and the old, but rather a change of em- 
phasis, a growth out of one into the other. The lesson is plain, that the true manifestation 
of God is not to be found in the things that destroy, that show might and strict justice, but 
in the " sound of a gentle murmur," that typifies his mildness, the gentle influences of his 
healing spirit; not in the fire from heaven that destroys his enemies, but in the beneficent 
miracles of the Christ. 

13. He xvrapped his face in his mantle : Because he feared to behold God (see 
Ex. 3:6; Is. 6: 2). 

14. jlnd he said: Elijah's answer is the same as to the angel. The Lord has mani- 
fested himself to the prophet in a way that shows us, reading it now, that Elijah's despon- 
dency is due to his misconception of God's ways ; but it is not strange that he failed to 
see the meaning, and still asks for an explanation of the present state of things. 

15. Heturn on thy way to the tvilderness of Damascus : God does not 
answer the prophet's complainings. He leaves him to muse over the parable just enacted 
before him, and simply implies by his sending him back to take up his prophetic office, that 
his despair and flight are wrong. The wilderness of Damascus is probably the compara- 
tively uninhabited district lying between the northern limits of Israel and Damascus. There 
the prophet would be comparatively safe, and at the same time within reach of his work. 
A^noint Hazael to be king of Syria : Hazael was the servant of the present king, 
Benhadad II. Elijah does not seem to have fulfilled either of these first two commissions, 
but must have handed them over to Elisha his successor, v/ho carried out both of them. 
(See 2 Kings 8: 7-15; 9: 1-6.) 

107 



Lesson IX, THE STORY OF NABOTH. i Kings 21 -. ^-\^. 



16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi 
shalt thou anoint to be king over 
Israel : and Elisha the son of Shaphat 
of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to 
be prophet in thy room. 

17 And it shall come to pass, that 
him that escapeth the sword of Ha- 
zael shall Jehu slay: and him that 



escapeth from the sword "of Jehu 
shall Elisha slay. 

18 Yet ^ I have left me seven thou- 
sand in Israel, all the knees which 
have not bowed unto Baal, and 
every mouth ^vhich hath not kissed 
him. 



'Or, / 7uill leave. 



16. tleliu the son of Nimshi : His father's name was Jehoshaphat, and his grand- 
father's Nimshi (see 2 Kings 9:2). He conspired against Jehoram, the son of Ahab, put 
him to death, and became king himself. JElisha, the son of SJiajiJiat, of A.hel- 

meJiolaJi : This place must have been in the northern part of the valley of the Jordan, in 
the vicinity of Beth-sheam (see 4: 2; Judges 7: 22). The name means meadow of the 
dance (see 19-21). 

17. Him that escapeth the sivord of Uazael : For an account of the destruc- 
tion wrought in Israel by Hazael, see 2 Kings 8: 12, 28, 29; 9: 14, 15; 10: 32, 33; 13: 3. 
Shall Jehu slay : See 2 Kings 9: 24, 30-23; 10: 1-7, 18-25. ^hall Elisha slay : 
Elisha was not, like Elijah, the prophet of wrath. This is not, therefore, to be taken literally, 
as if he himself slew the worshippers of Baal or others. The only slaying done by him was 
with the words of his mouth, as he pronounced the doom of wicked men (see Hos. 
6:s). 

18. Yet I have left ine seven thousand : Evidently the meaning of the three 
commissions given to Elijah was to appoint three persons, two kings and a prophet, each 
in his own way to punish the sin of the people in the worship of Baal. And yet God 
says this is not a universal judgment, for he has seven thousand left who have not bowed 
to Baal. Kissed Jiitu (see Ps. 2: 12; Hos. 13: 2): There seems to be an inconsistency 
here between the parable of God's appearances to Elijah, and this denunciation of judgment 
against his people; but it is only apparent, since what God does through wicked men is 
not to be looked on as if he did it himself If the horrors of the French Revolution are to 
be looked on as in some sense a divine retribution for the wrongs of the French people, it is 
not in the sense that this is the way in which God would himself act, or encourage his peo- 
ple to act. These things are the inevitable result of sin acting upon sinful men; the wrong 
and oppression of one man acting on the capacity for hatred and vengeance in another, so 
that God punishes one sin by its recoil in another. But God's own direct action is gracious, 
restraining all these evil things. 



LESSON IX. 

THE STORY OF NABOTH. — 1 Kings 21 : 4-19. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — After the appearance to Elijah in Horeb, he came to the 
vicinity of Damascus probably. On the way he stopped at Abel-meholah, the residence of 
Elisha, and took him from the plough into his service. The next chapter gives an account 
of a war waged by Benhadad, king of Syria, against Ahab, in which there are certain indi- 
cations ot a somewhat changed and bettered condition of things between Jehovah and Ahab. 
Benhadad brought with him a great army, collected not only from his own land, but from 
many subject provinces, and laid siege to Samaria. The siege seems to have been success- 
ful ; for when Benhadad sent messengers to parley for a surrender, exacting the very hardest 
conditions, Ahab felt compelled to submit to them. But when the Syrian king increased 
his demands, exacting this time not only from the king, but from his subjects, then Ahab, 
after consulting the elders, refused to yield; whereupon Benhadad proceeded to assault the 
city. At this juncture there came a prophet to Ahab, and encouraged him to make a sally 

io8 



Lesson IX. 



THE STORY OF NABOTH. \ Kings 2\ : \-\(^. 



against the besiegers, promising to deliver the Syrian army into his hands. Ahab made the 
venture with his small force, and routed the Syrian army. The prophet, however, warned 
the king to be prepared for a fresh invasion the next year. Meantime, Benhadad was en- 
couraged by his servants to believe that his defeat was owing to the battle being fought 
among the hills, where the gods of Israel were masters, and that victory would result from 
a battle fought on the plains. This challenge of Jehovah settled the result of the next 
year's campaign ; as Benhadad was defeated disastrously, and purchased peace and his life 
only on the most humiliating terms. This victoiy was also promised by the prophet; but, 
because Ahab spared Benhadad on his own responsibility, a prophet foretold his violent 
death, and the destruction of his people. This frequent appearance of the prophets would 
seem to indicate that the ban had been removed from them, and the interference of the 
Lord in behalf of Israel points to a better state of things between them; but if there had 
been any check put upon Ahab's evil nature, it broke loose again in the affair of Naboth. 



4 And Ahab came into his house 
heavy and displeased because of the 
word which Naboth the Jezreelite 
had spoken to him : for he had said, 
I will not give thee the inheritance 
of my fathers. And he laid him 
down upon his bed, and turned 
away his face, and would eat no 
bread. 

5 \ But Jezebel his wife came to 
him, and said unto him. Why is thy 
spirit so sad, that thou eatest no 
bread ? 

6 And he said unto her, Because 
I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, 
and said unto him. Give me thy 
vineyard for money; or else, if it 



please thee, I will give thee another 
vineyard for it: and he answered, 
I will not give thee my vineyard. 

7 And Jezebel his wife said unto 
him. Dost thou now govern the 
kingdom of Israel ? arise, and eat 
bread, and let thine heart be merry ; 
I will give thee the vineyard of Na- 
both the Jezreelite. 

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's 
name, and sealed them with his seal, 
and sent the letters unto the elders 
and to the nobles that were in his 
city, dwelling with Naboth. 

9 And she wrote in the letters, 
saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Na- 
both ^ on high among the people : 



in the top of the people 



I Heb. 



NOTES. — 4. Heavy and disjyleased : Sullen and angry. For the cause of 
this displeasure, see verses 1-3. TTpon his bed: More probably, his couch, on which 
he reclined at meals. This sullen displeasure of the king, which yet stopped short of the 
violence afterwards wrought by Jezebel, is a tribute to the restraint exercised, even on an 
Eastern king, by the essential justice of Jev/ish institutions. He was angry at the refusal 
to yield to his royal wish, but he felt himself hedged in by a law that applied equally to 
himself and his subjects. 

5. Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? Why is thy spirit 
sullen, and thou eatest. 

7. Dost thou notv govern the Jiingdotn of Israel ? Dost thou now administer 
the kingdom over Israel? The pronoun is made very emphatic here. It is uncertain 
whether it is an ironical statement — Thou now bearest rule over Israel, forsooth — or 
a question, as in our version; but the meaning is substantially the same in either case. 
The queen ridicules his assumption to be king, when he cannot have his way with his sub- 
jects. X will give thee the vineyard : The subject is emphatic, to contrast it with 
the king's inability to obtain the vineyard for himself. 

8. XInto the elders and to the nobles : The elders were those who ruled over the 
city. The nobles apparently had rank ; and the word seems to show that with the kingdom 
had sprung up a class having hereditary position among the people. I'll his city : viz., 
Jezreel. 

9. Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: Liter- 
ally, at the head of the people. There is some difficulty here, as the expression naturally 

109 



Lesson IX. 



THE STORY OF NABOTH. \ Kmgs 21 -. ^-\^, 



1 



10 And set two men, sons of 
Belial, before him, to bear witness 
against him, saying. Thou didst 
blaspheme God and the king. And 
then carry him out, and stone him, 
that he may die. 

1 1 And the men of his city, even 
the elders and the nobles who were 
the inhabitants in his city, did as 
Jezebel had sent unto them, and as 
it was written in the letters which 
she had sent unto them. 

12 They proclaimed a fast, and set 
Naboth on high among the people. 

13 And there came in two men, 
children of Belial, and sat before 
him : and the men of Belial wit- 
nessed against him, even against 
Naboth, in the presence of the peo- 
ple, saying, Naboth did blaspheme 
God and the king. Then they car- 
ried him forth out of the city, and 
stoned him with stones, that he 
died. 



14 Then they sent to Jezebel, 
saying, Naboth is stoned, and is 
dead. 

151" And it came to pass, when 
Jezebel heard that Naboth was 
stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel 
said to Ahab, Arise, take possession 
of the vineyard of Naboth the Jez- 
reelite, which he refused to give 
thee for money ; for Naboth is not 
alive, but dead. 

16 And it came to pass, when 
Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, 
that Ahab rose up to go down to 
the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreel- 
ite, to take possession of it. 

17 1[ And the word of the Lord 
came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 

18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab 
king of Israel, which is in Samaria : 
behold, he is in the vineyard of Na- 
both, whither he is gone down to 
possess it. 



implies a position of honor; but in the connection it probablj'' denotes only the prominent 
position that would be given to a man on trial. The fast was intended to express grief and 
horror for the supposed offence. When the people asked the reason of it, then Naboth was 
to be brought forth, and the accusation against him recited. 

ID. Two tnen : In order to comply with the provision of the law, requiring two wit- 
nesses to convict a person. See Num. 35: 30; Deut. 17: 6, in both which the requirement 
is in regard to capital offences; and Deut. 19: 15, where it is made general. Sons of 
Helial : This is not a proper name, but an abstract noun meaning ivorthlessness. The 
expression means worthless fellows. Thou didst hlasphenie : Thou hast cursed. 
God and the Txing : To curse God was a religious offence, punishable with death 
under the law (see Lev. 24: 14) ; and to curse the king was a political offence, equally odi- 
ous under a personal rule, such as an Eastern monarchy. A.nd stone him : The queen 
gives the thing the form of a judicial proceeding before the people, but she takes no pains 
to disguise her wickedness before the subservient rulers and men of rank. She bids them 
suborn witnesses, and foredooms an innocent man. Stoning was the punishment of blas- 
phemy, and in fact the ordinary form of capital punishment among the Jews. It was to 
be executed without the city. 

15. Arise, take possession of the vineyard : Naboth was now dead, and out of 
the way; and it appears from 2 Kings 9: 26, that his children were also put to death: so 
that the obstacles to Ahab's possession of the vineyard were removed. Moreover, it is 
probable that the estates of a person sentenced for treason were confiscated to the 
crown. 

17. A.nd the word of the Lord came to Elijah the TisJibite : It must be 
meant that this is a direct communication from Jehovah, as it conveys to the prophet 
tidings as well as commands. If Elijah had known the circumstances of Naboth's death, 
it might have meant simply that the Lord impressed on his mind what he should say to 
Ahab about his crime; but as the word contained apparently the first intimation that 
Elijah had had of these transactions, it must be strictly supernatural. 

18. Go doirn to meet Ahab, hing of Israel, which is in Samaria : This 
relative clause is somewhat difficult to explain. The relative refers to Ahab, not to Israel: 
and the statement that he is in Samaria must refer to the territory, not the city of Samaria; 



Lesson X. ELIJAH TRANSLATED. 2 Kings 2:1-1^. 



19 And thou shalt speak unto 
him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, 
Hast thou killed, and also taken 
possession? And thou shalt speak 



unto him, saying. Thus saith the 
Lord, In the place where dogs 
licked the blood of Naboth shall 
dogs lick thy blood, even thine. 



since the very next statement is that Ahab is in the vineyard of Naboth, which was in 
Jezreel. But the statement that he is in the territory of Samaria is both superfluous and 
indefinite. However, it is to be preferred to the explanation which makes it refer to the 
city of Samaria. 

19. Hast thou hilled, and also taken possession : The Lord charges the 
murder of Naboth on the king, aUhough it does not appear that Ahab took any active part 
in it; but he allowed Jezebel to proceed in her own way to get possession of the vineyard, 
although he knew that she had no such scruples as even a degenerate Jew would have, in 
regard to the rights of subjects. It does not appear that he knew the steps that she was 
taking; but he does not scruple, after it is all over, to take advantage of her crime. In 
the 2>lace tvhere dogs licked tJiehlood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood: 
This prophecy was partly fulfilled in the case of Ahab, who was slain in battle at Ramoth- 
gilead, and the dogs licked the blood that came from his chariot, as they were washing it; 
but this was done at Samaria, — not at Jezreel, as the strict fulfilment of the prophecy re- 
quired. His son and successor, Jehoram, was cast into the field of Naboth (see 2 Kings g : 
25, 26), where this is said to be the fulfilment of the sentence pronounced on Ahab. The 
delay in the fulfilment of the prophecy, promised in verse 29, evidently refers to the part 
of it directed against his house, not against himself. 

The lesson is interesting; because it shows the weakness and wickedness of Ahab, not 
only in his idolatry, which was a sin immediately against God, but in his oppression of his 
subjects. It shows that his crimes were the result of his weakness, rather than of active 
wickedness, and that Jezebel was the dominant spirit in both the idolatry and the oppres- 
sion; and, finally, that God's anger was provoked fully as much by the wickedness of the 
king in his oppression of his subjects, as in his failure to worship the true God. 



LESSON X. 

ELIJAH TRANSLATED. — 2 Kings 2:1-15. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — The history between this and the preceding lesson covers 
three principal events. First, the death of Ahab. This took place in a war waged by Ahab 
in league with Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, against the Syrians at Ramoth-gilead. The 
two kings consulted with the prophets of the Lord, who promised them success in their 
enterprise; but Ahab did not feel secure till he had called in Micaiah, who with true pro» 
phetic insight prophesied evil against the evil king. Micaiah foresaw and foretold disaster, 
instead of victory. Ahab put him in prison, and in defiance of the warning went out to 
battle. Then, finally, the evil that had been gathering over him broke upon him. He was 
defeated and slain, and the dogs licked his blood. Second, the death of Ahaziah, who suc- 
ceeded his father Ahab on the throne. He had been seriously injured by a fall, and sent 
to inquire of Baal-zebub, at Ekron, whether he should recover. The messengers met Elijah, 
who had been apprised of their errand by the angel of the Lord; and he sent them back 
with the message that Ahaziah should die, because he had not inquired of the Lord. Then, 
when the king sent a captain with fifty men to take the presumptuous prophet, Elijah, with 
his old stern spirit, called down fire from heaven to consume them. A second fifty shared 
the same fate. A third party, resorting to entreaty, was spared, and Elijah went with 
them; but his message remained the same, — that the king must die. In default of a son, 
his brother Jehoram succeeded him. 



Lesson X. ELIJAH TRANSLATED. 2 Ki-ngs 2:i-i<^ 

1 And it came to pass, when the I 3 And the sons of the prophets 
Lord would take up Elijah into ; that luere at Beth-el came forth to 
heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest 
went with Elisha from Gilgal. thou that the Lord will take away 

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, thy master from thy head to day? 
Tarry here, I pray thee ; for the And he said. Yea, I know it ; hold 
Lord hath sent me to Beth-el. And ' j-e your peace. 

Elisha said unto him. As the Lord | 4 And Elijah said unto him, Eli- 
liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will j sha, tarry here, I pray thee ; for the 
not leave thee. So they went down ! Lord hath sent me to Jericho, 
to Beth-el. | And he said, As the Lord liveth, 

NOTES. — T.. When the Lord tcould taJce nj) Elijah: We learn from 
2 Chron. 21 : 12, that Elijah was still Yixrag, in the reign of Joram, the son of Jehoshaphat, 
and his successor on the throne of Judah; and as he did not begin his reign till the fifth 
year of Jehoram, king of Israel, we have to postpone the translation of Elijah to a later date 
than appears here (2 Kings 8: 16). In fact, all that follows to chapter 8, as it took 
place within the reign of Jehoshaphat, and before the accession of Joram to the throne of 
Judah, must, according to this, have taken place within the hfe of Elijah. And yet it is 
a histor}' of the prophetic acti%4ty of Elisha, not of Elijah. This did not begin, therefore, 
\\i\h the translation of EUjah, as would appear from our narrative. However, chronology, 
which is verj' uncertain, and this slight mention in 2 Chron. 21 : 12, may be too narrow a 
foundation for so broad, and in itself improbable, an inference. Hi/ a tcliirlivind : In 
a storm. There is nothing even to indicate that it was a wind-storm. Ulijah ivent tvith 
I^lisJia : Since the events narrated in i Kings 19: 16-21, EHsha had been the attendant 
of Elijah. From G'dyal : Not the Gilgal south of Jericho is meant; for that is twelve 
hundred feet below Bethel, whereas the verb used here indicates that thej- went down from 
Gilgal to Bethel. Probably the place meant is some fifteen miles north of Lydda, and about 
the same distance north-west of Bethel. 

2. Tarry here, I x^ray thee : That is, probably-, in Gilgal. He said it before they 
started. T7ie JLord hath sent me to Sethel : There was a school of the prophets 
there, according to verse 3 ; and it was probably to visit them before his departure, and say 
some final words to them, that Elijah was going there. His reason for asking Elisha to 
stay behind was, probably, that he had had some intimation of what was to take place, and 
that he had doubts as to the fitness of ha^-ing any spectators of so solemn a scene. A.S tJie 
Xord Jivcth, and as thy soul liveth: Either of these oaths is strong, but the two 
together are rarely used, and imusually emphatic. I tcill not leave thee : Elisha, too, 
had had intimations of what was to take place ; and he was determined to follow his master, 
not to witness a solemn scene, but to catch the last words of a great man, and to secure that 
inheritance of Elijah's spirit which would fit him for his work (see verses 3, 9). They 
went doivn to Sethel : The place, some ten miles north of Jerusalem, where Jacob 
had his heavenly vision; and afterwards, in the time of the judges, a place of religious 
resort, and one of the abodes of the ark (see Gen. 28: 19; Judg. 20: 18, 26,-3i; 21: 2; 20: 
26-28; 21 : 4). Jeroboam made it the southern depository of the calf-worship. 

3. The soils of the jyrophets : That is, their disciples; a teacher being looked on 
as in the place of a father to his pupils. It did not follow that a man who had the prophetic 
training at one of these schools would possess the prophetic gift ; but they received instruc- 
tion probably in the law, and in poetical and musical expression, as a preparation both for 
the gift of inspiration and for the use of it. Knowest thou that the Lord tcill take 
away thy master from thy head to-day ? From over th}^ head. They, too, as 
well as Elijah and Elisha, had intimations of the coming event. Hold ye your peace : 
This is in the original a single word meaning Hush. EUsha feels the solemnitj^ of the 
impending event, and enjoins silence in the presence of its mj^stery. 

4. The Lord hath sent me to Jericho : Since here, too, there was a school of the 
prophets. It lay on his way, moreover, to the other side of the Jordan. 

112 



Lesson X. 



ELIJAH TRANSLATED. 



2 Kings 2 : i-i 5. 



and as thy soul liveth, I will not 
leave thee. So they came to Jericho. 

5 And the sons of the prophets 
that zvere at Jericho came to Elisha, 
and said unto him, Knowest thou 
that the Lord will take away thy 
master from thy head to day ? And 
he answered, Yea, I know it ; hold 
ye your peace. 

6 And Elijah said unto him, 
Tarry, I pray thee, here ; for the 
Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And 
he said, As the Lord liveth, and as 
thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. 
And they two went on. 

7 And fifty men of the sons of the 
prophets went, and stood ^ to view 
afar off: and they two stood by 
Jordan. 

8 And Elijah took his mantle, 
and wrapped it together, and smote 
the waters, and they were divided 
hither and thither, so that they two 
went over on dry ground. 



9 T And it came to pass, when 
they were gone over, that Elijah 
said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall 
do for thee, before I be taken away 
from thee. And Elisha said, I pray 
thee, let a double portion of thy 
spirit be upon me. 

10 And he said, ^ Thou hast asked 
a hard thing : nevertheless, if thou 
see me when I am taken from thee, 
it shall be so unto thee ; but if not, 
it shall not be so. 

11 And it came to pass, as they 
still went on, and talked, that, be- 
hold, there appeared a chariot of fire, 
and horses of fire, and parted them 
both asunder; and Elijah went up 
by a whirlwind into heaven. 

12 If And Elisha saw it, and he 
cried. My father, my father, the 
chariot of Israel, and the horsemen 
thereof. And he saw him no more : 
and he took hold of his own clothes, 
and rent them in two pieces. 



Heb. in sight, or, over against. 2 Heb. Thou hast done hard in asking. 



7. Stood to vieiv afar off : Over against them at a distance. 

8. Took his mantle : The cape which, with the strip of skin about the loins, formed 
the rough and scanty clothing of the prophet. They tvere divided hither and 
thither : This is the third instance of this miracle ; the Red Sea having been divided by 
Moses, and the Jordan at the entrance into the promised land under Joshua (see Ex. 14: 
21; Josh. 3: 16). 

9. Ijet a double portion of thy spirit he upon me : Not twice what Elijah 
had, which would be a presumptuous request; but a double portion, twice what any one 
else had, which was the inheritance of the elder son (see Deut. 21 : 17). This would mark 
Elisha as the successor of Elijah. 

ID. Thou hast aslzed a hard thing : He knew that Elisha was to be his success- 
or, according to i Kings 19: 16; but just what portion of his spirit his successor was to 
have seemed beyond his control. However, he felt that the sign named by him in the 
latter part of the verse would be a sufficient test, whether the Lord granted the request. 

11. Sehold, . . . a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, , , . and Elijah 
went up by a xvhirUvind into heaven: The event here recorded is mysterious ; 
and we have no means of illustrating it, or of explaining its details, by any thing within our 
own knowledge. The ascension of Jesus is the only parallel to it; and the contrast between 
the chariot of fire and the storm, and the cloud which received Jesus out of the sight of 
his disciples, is characteristic of the contrasted lives. 

12. The chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof: The strength or 
defence of the land. The strength of the nation was Jehovah ; and in this time of religious 
degeneracy, so fearless a prophet as Elijah, who served to check the rising tide of idolatry, 
was peculiarly needed, and his loss would be unusually great. The samee xpression of 
lament was used over Elisha as his end drew near (see 13: 14). His otvn clothes : 
The word own is inserted by the translators, to distinguish them from Elijah's clothes, and 
prevent ambiguity. But the word has nothing corresponding to it in the original; and the 
contrast expressed by it with the mantle of Elijah, suggesting the idea that he cast off his 

"3 



Lesson XI. 



THE SHUNAMMITE'S SON. 2 Kings a:i^-Z7- 



13 He took up also the mantle 
of Elijah that fell from him, and 
went back, and stood by the ^ bank 
of Jordan ; 

14 And he took the mantle of 
Elijah that fell from him, and smote 
the waters, and said. Where is the 
Lord God of Elijah? and when 
he also had smitten the waters, thev 



parted hither and thither : and Eli- 
sha went over. 

15 And when the sons of the 
prophets which wei-e to view at Jeri- 
cho saw him, they said, The spirit 
of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. 
And they came to meet him, and 
bowed themselves to the ground 
before him. 



Heb. lij>. 



own clothes, and put on the cloak of Elijah, is unwarranted. The rending of his garments 
was the ordinary Eastern sign of great grief. 

13. lie tooh U2) also the mantle of Elijah : And he took up the mantle. When 
Elijah took him into his service, he cast his cloak to him, probably as a sign of adoption; 
and now his cloak falls from Elijah finally, and Elisha takes it up as a sign of his investi- 
ture with the prophetic office. 

14. And he took tJie mantle of Elijah, and smote tJie waters : This rude 
cloak was a sign of the stern prophet's severe and extraordinary sanctity; and, in smiting 
the waters with that, he was establishing a connection with the supernatural power wielded 
by him. WJiere is tJie Lord God of Elijah? and when he also liad smit- 
ten : Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah, even he? and when he had smitten. The 
words even he emphasize the fact that it is Elijah's God, he and none other, on whom 
Elisha calls. He asks the question, because he feels that he is only putting the matter to 
a test, whether the God of Elijah is to be with him ; and, to make the test as severe and 
striking as possible, he attempts the repetition of Elijah's last miracle, just performed in 
the sight of the sons of the prophets, who were also to witness his trial. 

15. Wfiich w^ere to view at tfericho : Who were in Jericho, on the opposite side. 
They seem to have been spectators of the parting of the waters by both prophets; and 
hence, they recognize Elisha's inheritance of the prophetic spirit, and do him homage. 



LESSON XL 

THE SHUNAMMITE'S SON. — 2 Kings 4:18-37. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — The record of Elisha's work is in one respect very unlike 
that of Elijah ; for the account of Elijah gives special prominence to his work as a prophet, 
an inspired preacher of righteousness, and a rebuker of sin. His miracles are strictly sub- 
ordinate to this religious work, the means by which he fulfils his prophetic office. But the 
narrative of Elisha contains an account simply of his miracles, without any preaching of 
righteousness or conflict with sin; but, fortunately, the miracles themselves tell a story, 
being not merely signs of power, but moral acts permeated with a distinctive spirit. The 
first of them, after the smiting of the waters of the Jordan, was the healing of the waters at 
Jericho. Then in quick succession come the subjection of Moab, the multiplication of the 
widow's oil, the gift and restoration of the Shunammite woman's son, the change of the poi- 
sonous broth to healthy food, the multiplication of food in a time of famine, the healing of 
the leprous Naaman the Syrian, and the relief of Samaria when it was besieged by the 
Syrians. In all this there is as strict an adherence to beneficent action as in the miracles of 
Jesus. The only exception to this is in the destruction of the children at Bethel, — an inci- 
dent which would excite little remark in the life of an Elijah, but which seems out of place 
in the career of the gentle Elisha. In accordance with this milder spirit, we find that the 
life of the younger prophet was not so stormy, and more prosperous. A part of this is no 

114 



Lesson XI. 



THE SHUNAMMITE'S SON. 2 Kings A,'.\Z-y]. 



doubt due to the putting away of the Baal-worship, leaving only the milder sin of image- 
worship, established by Jeroboam, with which to contend; and part may be owing to a 
more compromising spirit in Elisha. But, with all these abatements, the quieter life is a fit 
accompaniment of the more beneficent spirit. 



18 And when the child was grown, 
it fell on a day, that he went out to 
his father to the reapers. 

19 And he said unto his father, 
My head, my head. And he said to 
a iad, Carry him to his mother. 

20 And when he had taken him, 
and brought him to his mother, he 
sat on her knees till noon, and then 
died. 

21 And she went up, and laid him 
on the bed of the man of God, and 
shut the door upon him, and went 
out. 



22 And she called unto her hus- 
band, and said. Send me, I pray thee, 
one of the young men, and one of the 
asses, that I may run to the man of 
God, and come again. 

23 And he said. Wherefore wilt 
thou go to him to-day ? it is neither 
new moon, nor sabbath. And she 
said, It shall be ^ well. 

24 Then she saddled an ass, and 
said to her servant, Drive, and go 
forward ; ^ slack not thy riding for 
me, except I bid thee. 



1^^. peace. ^ Heb. restrain not for me to ride. 



NOTES. — 18. It fell on a day: Came to pass. To the reapers: So that it 
was in the hot season, and the child probably had a sunstroke. 

19. Carry him to his mother: The father does not seem to have gone with the 
child himself, and can scarcely have known, or even suspected, the seriousness of the attack. 

21. Laid him on the bed of the man of God: Here begins in our lesson the 
reference to Elisha's connection with this family, and specially with this son. The whole 
story is very beautiful. He was in the habit of passing by the house ; and, with the fine 
freedom of Eastern hospitality, he turned in, and ate bread with them. The woman per- 
ceived that he was a man of God, and built out a chamber for him, and furnished it; so that 
the ordinary attentions of hospitality given to any stranger became the reverent care be- 
stowed on the servant of God. The child of whom our lesson tells was the reward given to 
the childless woman for this hospitality. The laying of the body on the prophet's bed was 
the first, slight but significant, token that the woman turned to him in her extremity. 

22. One of the asses : The she-asses. The ass was a valuable animal in the East, 
both for burden bearing and riding. The latter use was by no means degrading, though the 
ass is not so fiery an animal as the horse, and not used in war; but it was bred with great 
care, and highly valued as a domestic animal. 

23. It is neither netv moon, noi' sabbath: In the Levitical law, provisions are 
made for special sacrifices on the first day of the lunar month; and these sacrifices were 
announced by the trumpets, as on the solemn festivals. Amos speaks of a sabbatic observ- 
ance of the day (8 : 5) . For what purpose the prophet was resorted to, on either this or 
the sabbath, does not appear; possibly for sacrifice, possibly for religious instruction. For 
though there is no command in the law to utilize the Jewish sacred days for religious teach- 
ing, there was a tendency that way. It shall be ivell : The single word used here 
means ivel/are, health, or as a secondary meaning, peace. It would be a simple salutation 
at meeting; but at parting the Hebrews said not. Peace, but, Go in peace. It is probably 
her brief way of saying that all is well, there is no harm in her going. The woman's reti- 
cence is one of the striking things about the story. It is the suppression of words and feel- 
ing in an intense nature under the influence of a great grief, and intent on one thing. Her 
dead child is in the house, and the man of God is at Carmel; and she will not pass words 
with any one till the two are brought together. 

24. Drive, and go forward : The servant was not himself riding, but running at the 
head of the horse. Slack not thy riding for me : This is a wrong translation, as he 
was not riding. It should read Do not check my riding. 

"5 



Lessoji XL 



THE SHUNAMMITE'S SON. 2 Kings ^xiZ-yj. 



25 So she went and came unto the 
man of God to mount Carmel. And 
it came to pass, when the man of 
God saw her afar off, that he said to 
Gehazi his servant. Behold, yonder 
is that Shunammite : 

26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet 
her, and say unto her. Is it well with 
thee ? is it well with thy husband ? 
is it well with the child ? And she 
answered. It is well. 

27 And when she came to the man 
of God to the hill, she caught ' him 
by the feet : but Gehazi came near 
to thrust her away. And the man 
of God said, Let her alone ; for her 
soul is ^ vexed within her : and the 
Lord hath hid // from me, and hath 
not told me. 

28 Then she said. Did I desire a 



son of my lord ? did I not say, Do 
not deceive me ? 

29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird 
up thy loins, and take my staff in 
thine hand, and go thy way : if thou 
meet any man, salute him not ; and 
if any salute thee, answer him not 
again : and lay my staff upon the 
face of the child. 

30 And the mother of the child 
said. As the Lord liveth, and as thy 
soul liveth, I will not leave thee. 
And he arose, and followed her. 

31 And Gehazi passed on before 
them, and laid the staff upon the 
face of the child ; but there was 
neither voice nor ^ hearing. Where- 
fore he went again to meet him, and 
told him, saying. The child is not 
awaked. 



I Heb. by his feet. Matt. 2E 



Heb. bitter, i Sam. 



3 Heb. attention. 



25. To JSIotint Carmel : On the situation and character of this range, see on i 
Kings 18: 19, Lesson VI., General View. The prophet was for the time sojourning there. 
Shunem was some ten miles distant from the nearest point in the range. Gehazi : The 
first appearance of this servant is in this account of the Shunamite woman, verse 12. JBe- 
Jiold . . . that Shuiiaintnite : Shunammite woman; the word is feminine. 

26. Is it well u'itJi thee ? The word used here is the same as the last word in verse 
23; only it is used here with an interrogative, making it an inquiry after the health or wel- 
fare of the person. The woman's answer, of course, gets its meaning from this, as she uses 
the same word in reply ; but It is an ambiguous answer, as the word may be also a mere 
salutation, wishing the person addressed well. She is careless how it is taken, as she desires 
only to come to speech with the prophet. 

27. She caught him by the feet : To fall on the ground, and cling to the feet, signi- 
fied great importunacy. To tJirust her aivay : Servants have sometimes a larger 
sense of their master's importance than the master himself. The woman's action was 
proper and natural, considering the circumstances; but Gehazi did not know the circum- 
stances. Her sotil is vexed : Is bitter. This is the first reason why her importunacy 
is allowed, because the prophet sees that she is under the pressure of some great grief. 
The Lord Jiath hid it from me : This is the second reason, — that he wishes to know 
the cause of her grief, which Jehovah has not told him. 

28. Did I not say, T>o not deceive me ? That is, when a son had been promised 
her (verse 16). To have a son only to lose him so young, she considers a virtual deceiving 
of her hopes. She is not concerned even now to tell her grief, the boy's death or the cir- 
cumstances of it, as a voluble person would ; but comes straight to her appeal, leaving that 
to tell the evident story of its occasion. The appeal itself is striking, intended to make 
Elisha feel the cruelty of raising so great hopes only to disappoint them. 

29. Gird up thy loins: For speed. Salute him not: As much as to say. Do 
not stop for any thing, even to salute any one on the road. Lay my staff upon the 
face of the child : Apparently, he did not mean to go himself, and thought that the cure 
might be effected in this way. 

30. I IV ill not lea re thee: The mother is not satisfied with the prophet's servant and 
staff; she does not believe that any thing less than the prophet himself can meet the emer- 
gency. 

31. There was neither voice nor hearing : This is not said of the child, but of 

116 



Lesson XII. 



NAAMAN THE SYRIAN. 



2 Kings 5: 1-16. 



32 And when Elisha was come 
into the house, behold, the child was 
dead, and laid upon his bed. 

■^1^ He went in therefore, and shut 
the door upon them twain, and 
prayed unto the Lord. 

34 And he went up, and lay upon 
the child, and put his mouth upon 
his mouth, and his eyes upon his 
eyes, and his hands upon his hands : 
and he stretched himself upon the 
child ; and the flesh of the child 
waxed warm. 



35 Then he returned, and walked 
in the house ^ to and fro ; and went 
up, and stretched himself upon him : 
and the child sneezed seven times, 
and the child opened his eyes. 

36 And he called Gehazi, and said, 
Call this Shunammite. So he called 
her. And when she was come in 
unto him, he said. Take up thy son. 

yj Then she went in, and fell at 
his feet, and bowed herself to the 
ground, and took up her son, and 
went out. 



^ Heb. once hither, and otice thither. 



God. He gave no sign of hearing or reply. (See i Kings 18: 26, 29.) The child is 
not awaked : Just as sleep was used of death, so waking is here put for coming to 
life. 

32. Jjaid upon Jiis bed : Elisha's. (See verse 21.) 

33. Shtit the dooi' : He felt that the solemn scene was not to be witnessed, just as 
Jesus kept his miracles largely from the crowd. Frayed \into the Lord : He sees 
that this is no ordinary miracle, in which the intervention of Jehovah is to be taken for 
granted, even by his prophet, but something in which he must set to work earnestly to 
secure the divine favor. 

34. And lay ujyon the child : He follows now the example of Elijah in performing 
the same miracle. (See i Kings 17: 21.) 

35. Walked in the house to and fro : Once hither, and once thither. 



LESSON XII. 



NAAMAN THE SYRIAN. — 2 Kings 5:1-16. 



A GENERAL FJ27W. — These stories of Elisha's life are given, for the most part, 
without any historical setting, and apparently with little attempt at chronological arrange- 
ment. In this account, for instance, the king of Israel and the king of Syria are mentioned, 
but their names are not given: but probably the king of Israel was Jehoram, the son of 
Ahab; and Benhadad II., the contemporary of Ahab, was king of Syria. About Naaman, 
there is nothing further told in Scripture ; and, in the next appearance of the commander of 
the Syrian armies, it is Hazael who occupies the position. Naaman does figure in Josephus, 
however, as the man who drew the bow " at a venture," and gave Ahab his death-wound. 
The story has an interest of its own ; because it is one of the few instances in the Old Tes- 
tament in which miraculous power is used in behalf of any Gentile, instead of against him. 
In this respect it anticipates the catholic spirit of the gospel, which displaced the exclusive- 
ness of Judaism. It is one of the instances cited by our Lord in the synagogue at Naza- 
reth, to show that a prophet may have more honor elsewhere than in his own country. In 
remarkable accordance with this, and tending to show that the source of this narrative was 
one in which Jehovah's universal rule and providence were recognized, is the statement in 
verse i, that Naaman was the man through whom Jehovah had given deliverance to 
Syria. 

117 



Lesson XII. 



NAAMAN THE SYRIAN. 2 Kings y.\-\(,. 



1 Now Naaman, captain of the 
host of the king of Syria, was a 
great man 'with his master, and 
^ honourable, because by him the 
Lord had given ^deliverance unto 
Syria : he was also a mighty man in 
valour, but lie was a leper. 

2 And the Syrians had gone out 
by companies, and had brought 
away captive out of the land of Is- 
rael a little maid; and she * waited 
on Naaman's wife. 

3 And she said unto her mistress, 
Would God my lord were ' with the 
prophet that is in Samaria ! for he 
would ^ recover him of his leprosy. 

4 And 07te went in, and told his 
lord, saying. Thus and thus said 
the maid that is of the land of 
Israel. 

5 And the king of Syria said, Go 



to, go, and I will send a letter unto 
the king of Israel. And he de- 
parted, and took ^ with him ten tal- 
ents of silver, and six thousand 
pieces of gold, and ten changes of 
raiment. 

6 And he brought the letter to 
the king of Israel, saying, Now when 
this letter is come unto thee, be- 
hold, I have therewith sent Naaman 
my servant to thee, that thou may- 
est recover him of his leprosy. 

7 And it came to pass, when the 
king of Israel had read the letter, 
that he rent his clothes, and said, 
A?n I God, to kill and to make 
alive, that this man doth send unto 
me to recover a man of his leprosy.'' 
wherefore consider, I pray you, 
and see how he seeketh a quarrel 
against me. 



Heb. before. ^ Ox, gracious. Heb. lifted up ; or, accepted in countenance. 3 Or, 
victory. ^ Heb, ivas before. ^ Heb. Gather in. ^ Heb. in his hand. 



NOTES. — I. jtnd honourable : Honored. TJie Lord had given deliver- 
ance unto Syria : This statement is the more noticeable, because the name Jehovah is 
employed here, — a title usually reserved to denote God's special relation to his people. 
What this deliverance was, we are not told. It may have been some such exploit as the 
killing of Ahab, mentioned above; or it may have been his conspicuous part in the deliver- 
ance of Syria from the Assyrian invasions, of which the Assyrian monuments tell us at this 
period. ^ leper : In Israel this would have debarred him from society, to say nothing 
of high position. The leprosy was local, not infecting the whole body, and of the white 
kind (see verses ii and 27). 

2. Had f/one out by companies : That is, probably, in one of the partisan forays 
constantly occurring between neighboring countries; not in a general invasion. 

3. The prophet who is in Samaria : Probably here the city is meant, as Elisha 
seems to have been resident at the capital at this time (see verse 8) . One of the contrasts 
between Elijah and Elisha is this dwelling of the latter in the abodes of men. 

4. JLnd one tvent in, and told his lord : He went in; viz., Naaman to the king. 

5. Go to, go : Better, Depart, go; though the first is used sometimes as a particle of 
incitement merely. A. letter tmto the king of Israel : With the idea that prophets, 
like all the rest of his subjects, were in the service of the king, and that their miraculous 
power was at his disposal. However, there was this valid reason for the procedure, that 
the intrusion of a man occupying Naaman's position into a hostile country would be one 
of which some account would have to be given to the king. Ten talents of silver, 
and six thousand pieces of gold : Shekels of gold. The talent and the shekel 
were both at this time weights, not coins. The shekel was about half an ounce, and the 
talent was three thousand shekels. This would make the talent of silver to be worth about 
$1,875, and the shekel of gold about $9.70. The whole amount of silver would be thus 
$18,750, and of gold, $58,200. 

6. The letter, . . . saying: That is, the part of the letter pertaining direcdy to this 
matter. That thou mayest recover him of his lejtrosy : The meaning is not 
that the king should perform the cure himself, but that he should procure its performance. 

7. He rent Jiis clothes: In token of his grief. He thought that he saw in this 
preposterous request, simply a pretext to make further injurious demands on him on the 



118 



Lesson XII. 



NAAMAN THE SYRIAN. 



2 Kings 5 : 1-16. 



8 IF And it was so, when Elisha 
the man of God had heard that the 
king of Israel had rent his clothes, 
that he sent to the king, saying. 
Wherefore hast thou rent thy 
clothes ? let him come now to me, 
and he shall know that there is a 
prophet in Israel. 

9 So Naaman came with his 
horses and with his chariot, and 
stood at the door of the house of 
Elisha. 

10 And Elisha sent a messenger 
unto him, saying, Go and wash in 
Jordan seven times, and thy flesh 
shall come again to thee, and thou 
shalt be clean. 

11 But Naaman was wroth, and 



went away, and said. Behold, ^ I 
thought. He will surely come out 
to me, and stand, and call on the 
name of the Lord his God, and 
^strike his hand over the place, and 
recover the leper. 

12 Are not ^ Abana and Pharpar, 
rivers of Damascus, better than all 
the waters of Israel .? may I not 
wash in them, and be clean .^ So he 
turned and went away in a rage. 

13 And his servants came near, 
and spake unto him, and said. My 
father, if the prophet had bid thee 
do some great thing, wouldest thou 
not have done it? how much rather 
then, when he saith to thee, Wash, 
and be clean ? 



* Heb. I said ; or, I said with myself. He will surely come 07(t, etc. 
and down. 3 Qr, A mana. 



2 Heb. move up 



part of a powerful neighbor. A.m I God, to hill and to mahe alive ? (See Deut. 
32: 39.) The king saw, or pretended to see, in this a request that he should perform the 
miracle himself, either forgetting or ignoring the existence of Elisha, and the proofs that 
he had had of the prophet's power. In the only record that we have, previous to this, of 
any meeting of the king and prophet, neither seems to have had any friendly feeling towaias 
the other (see chapter 3: 11-16.). 

8. He shall hnow that there is a prox>het in Israel : This supposition was 
•what had brought Naaman out of Syria; but the king was sending him away, as if there 
were none. 

9. With his horses and with his chariot: His mounted retinue, and the 
chariot in which he himself rode. 

10. Elisha sent a messenger tmto him : Emulating the state which Naaman put 
on. In accordance with Eastern etiquette, the great Naaman had waited in state at the 
door of the humble prophet, and expected him to come out to him; but Elisha, conscious 
of the greater dignity conferred on him by the service of Jehovah, sent a messenger to Naa- 
man, instead of coming out himself. Go and tvash in Jordan seven times : In- 
stead of performing the cure himself, he lays it on the haughty Syrian, making him travel 
thirty miles to the Jordan for it. Seven titnes : A sacred number. TJit/ flesh shall 
come again to thee : Leprosy was a disease of the skin, causing an unnatural white- 
ness of the flesh, and of the hair covering it, and resulting finally in distortion of the joints. 

11. Behold, I thought: I said to myself. JLnd strike his hand over the 
place : Move his hand up and down. Naaman thought that the cure would be performed 
in a way to show proper deference and respect to himself. The leper : The word means 
the smitten or scourged, and its common use to denote a leper shows the way in which the 
disease was regarded. 

12. Ahana and Pharpar : There is little doubt of the identity of the Abana with 
the Barrada, the principal river of the Damascus region ; and the Pharpar we may suppose 
to be the Awaj, the other river of the neighborhood. Better than all the ivaters of 
Israel : These are clear streams, while the Jordan is a muddy torrent. Naaman is rea- 
soning with a soldier's impetuosity, as if the virtue lay in the water, in which case he has 
no doubt of the superiority of his own clear streams. 

13. My father : A title of respect and affection used by these men, who were evi- 
dently personal attendants or adherents of Naaman. Some great thing : Something 

119 



Lesson XII. 



NAAMAN THE SYRIAN. 



2 Kings 5 : 1-16. 



14 Then went he down, and 
dipped himself seven times in Jor- 
dan, according to the saying of the 
man of God : and his flesh came 
again like unto the flesh of a little 
child, and he was clean. 

15 If And he returned to the man 
of God, he and all his company, and 
came, and stood before him : and 



he said, Behold, now I know that 
there is no God in all the earth, but 
in Israel : now therefore, I pray 
thee, take a blessing of thy ser- 
vant. 

16 But he said, As the Lord liv- 
eth, before whom I stand, I will 
receive none. And he urged him 
to take //; but he refused. 



comporting with his dignity, while, at the same time, involving more toil and difficulty than 
the dipping in Jordan. 

14. He was clean : This was not only a disease involving ceremonial uncleanness, 
but an actually loathsome disease in itself. 

15. He returned to the man of God : Involving a journey of over thirty miles, 
and this time altogether out of his way. If Naaman had the quick temper and pride of the 
soldier, he had also his honor. Having received a benefit, he would acknowledge it at any 
cost. No God in all the earth, hut in Israel: There are other cases in which 
Jehovah is acknowledged by Gentiles (see Dan. 2: 47; 3: 29) : but this is a recognition of 
Jehovah as the one God, taking the Jewish monotheistic idea, instead of the Gentile poly- 
theism; and he proposes, therefore, to relinquish the worship of his own gods (see verses 
17, 18). Take a blessing : A gift; the word being used in the same way as in speak- 
ing of God's benefits bestowed on men (see Gen. 49: 25; 33: 11). 

16. I tvill receive none: These gifts, freely received, are to be freely bestowed. 
If there were cases in which the prophet received something for his wisdom or power, 
Elisha rose above them into the true position, in refusing to have it thought that " the 
gift of God might be purchased with money" (i Sam. 9: 7, 8; i Kings 14: 3). 



FOURTH QUARTER. 
LESSON I. 

ELISHA AT DOTHAN. — 2 Kings 6:8-23. 



A GENERAL VIEW. 



DoTHAN is the place at which Joseph was delivered up by his brethren to the caravan of 
Midianites on their way to Egypt; and it is this circumstance, showing that it was on the 
road from Gilead to Egypt, together with the occurrence of the name to designate ruins in 
the neighborhood, that has led to the identification of the place as about twelve miles north 
of Shechem, near the southern extremity of Carmel. It is noticeable that Elisha appears in 
this narrative as giving aid and information to the king of Israel, although it does not 
appear that Jehovah was inclined to treat Jehoram as his friend ; and yet in the siege of 
Samaria, that is said to follow these events (see verse 24), there appears the same disposi- 
tion to persecute the prophet that we should expect from Jehoram. Probably, therefore, 
the change of kings, and the accession of Jehu to the throne, did not take place till after this; 
and Jehoram was thus the king of Israel, and Benhadad the king of Syria, at this time. 



8 1[ Then the king of Syria warred 
against Israel, and took counsel with 
his servants, saying, In such and such 
a place s/ia// be my ^ camp. 



9 And the man of God sent unto 
the king of Israel, saying, Beware 
that thou pass not such a place ; for 
thither the Syrians are come down. 



^ Or, encamping. 



NOTES. — 8. Then the Icing of Syria ivarred : Probably what is told here, 
in verses 8-10, is not the narrative of a single event, but of what was in the habit of oc- 
curring whenever the king of Syria went to war against Israel. At such times he would 
advise with his servants about the place of encampment; and, as often as he did this, it 
would become known to the prophet, and so to the king, and he would be put on his guard. 

9. Hetvare that thou pass not such a place : The action of the king does not 
seem the natural result of such a warning; for we are told that he sent to the place against 
which he was warned, and was on his guard there. The language will bear the meaning. 
Beware of passing by, in the sense of neglecting, this place ; that is, have a force 
there prepared to meet an incursion. However, Josephus does not translate it so; for he 
tells us that, in consequence of this warning, the king was obliged to give up his hunting. 
But it appears here that the thing done by the king was not so much to provide for his per- 
sonal safety, as to guard against an attack; and this is in itself more probable, and is a 
possible construction of the language. Are come down : Are coming down. 

I2X 



Lesson I. 



ELISHA AT DOTHAN. 



2 Ki7igs 6 : 8-23. 



10 And the king of Israel sent to 
the place which the man of God told 
him and warned him of, and saved 
himself there, not once nor twice. 

1 1 Therefore the heart of the king 
of Syria was sore troubled for this 
thing ; and he called his servants, 
and said unto them, Will ye not 
shew me which of us is for the king 
of Israel ? 

12 And one of his servants said, 
*None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, 
the prophet that is in Israel, telleth 
the king of Israel the words that 
thou speakest in thy bedchamber. 

13 1i And he said. Go and spy 
where he is, that I may send and fetch 
him. And it was told him, saying, 
Behold, he is in Dothan. 

14 Therefore sent he thither 
horses, and chariots, and ^ a great 
host : and they came by night, and 
compassed the city about. 



15 And when the ^servant of the 
man of God was risen early, and gone 
forth, behold, an host compassed 
the city both with horses and chari- 
ots. And his servant said unto him, 
Alas, my master ! how shall we 
do? 

16 And he answered. Fear not: 
for they that be with us are more than 
they that be with them. 

17 And Elisha prayed, and said, 
Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, 
that he may see. And the Lord 
opened the eyes of the young man ; 
and he saw : and, behold, the moun- 
tain ivas full of horses and chariots 
of fire round about Elisha. 

18 And when they came down to 
him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, 
and said, Smite this people, I pray 
thee, with blindness. And he smote 
them with blindness according to 
the word of Elisha. 



Heb. No. 2 Heb. Heavy. 3 Or, 77iinister. 



10. jLnd saved JiimseJf: And was on his guard. The verb is the same as that 
translated " beware," in verse 9. 

11. TJie heart of the Tiing of Syriawas sore troubled: Not perplexed, but 
distressed, vexed. Which oftis is for the Icing of Israel ? He thought that some 
traitor in his camp had betrayed his secret. 

12. None, my lord, O hing, hut Elisha , . . telleth: No, my lord the king ; 
for Elisha telleth. It denies what is assumed in the king's inquiry, that there is some one 
favorable to Israel in his camp; for Elisha tells his secrets. The tvords that thou 
speaTcest in thy hedchainher : That is, thy most secret utterances. The extreme 
seclusion of an Eastern harem adds to the force of the expression. (See Eccl. 10: 20.) 

13. Go and spy : Go and see, simply. lie is in Dothan : See Gen. 37: 10; also 
the account of Dothan in the General View. 

14. Morses, and chariots, and a great host : That is, probabty, cavalry, infan- 
try, and chariots; or all three arms of the service. 

15. The servant of the man of God : The personal attendant who had taken the 
place of Gehazi. His leprosy would debar Gehazi from retaining his place. 

16. They that he u-ith ns are more than they that be with them : This 
statement derives all its force and beauty from the supposition that Elisha was walking by 
faith, not by sight; that he knew only that God was on his side, and that the heavenly host 
was not seen by him at this time, any more than by his servant. No prophet walked so 
constantly in the midst of wonders, that there was not always an element of uncertainty 
about the way in which God would show himself to be on his side; the only certainty being 
that God on his side meant safety. (See 2 Chron. 32: 7, 8; Ps. 55: 18; Rom. 8: 31.) 

17. Horses and chariots of fire : This vision itself was simply a revelation to the 
man what it meant to be on God's side. It does not follow that these were the instruments 
actually employed in the miracle that followed. They showed the vision that was in the 
mind of the prophet to his less spiritual follower, that he might share his confidence. Tlie 
mountain : The hill on which Dothan was situated, and which still bears the name. 

18. When they came dou-n to him: The Syrians, who were encamped probably 
on some hill over against the city. Smit^ this people, . . . with blindness: 

122 



Lesson I. 



ELISHA AT DOTHAN. 



2 Kings 6 : 8-23. 



19 TT And Elisha said unto them, 
This is not the way, neither is this 
the city : ^ follow me, and I will bring 
you to the man whom ye seek. But 
he led them to Samaria. 

20 And it came to pass, when they 
were come into Samaria, that Elisha 
said, Lord, open the eyes of these 
men, that they may see. And the 
Lord opened their eyes, and they 
saw ; and, behold, t/iej/ were in the 
midst of Samaria. 

21 And the king of Israel said 
unto Elisha, when he saw them, My 



father, shall I smite them ? shall I 
smite them ? 

22 And he answered. Thou shalt 
not smite them : wouldst thou smite 
those whom thou hast taken captive 
with thy sword and with thy bow? 
set bread and water before them, 
that they may eat and drink, and go 
to their master. 

23 And he prepared great provis- 
ion for them : and when they had 
eaten and drunk, he sent them away, 
and they went to their master. So 
the bands of Syria came no more 
into the land of Israel. 



Heb. co?f!e ye after jne. 



Probably this has a meaning analogous to the prayer in regard to his servant, that he might 
see. In neither case, probably, was any thing actually done to the eyes; but in this case 
some illusion was effected, so that they did not see truly. 

19. This is not the xvay , neither is this the city : Not the city of Dothan, 
which they were seeking. Elisha means that they had lost the way, and were encamped 
before the wrong city. The miracle was intended to make them believe this; so that, 
though they saw the place still, they should not recognize it. Actual blindness would have 
put them on their guard, making them see that they were in a trap. lie led thern to 
Samaria : The city of Samaria, a distance of some ten miles. 

20. Open the eyes of these men : That is, make them see the truth of things. 

21. Shall I smite them? shall I smite them? This is, as it appears in our 
version, a repetition of the question for the sake of emphasis. JMy father : Here there 
appears the recognition of the prophet of which mention has been made in the General 
View. This would not be a consequence of the present occurrence simply, but of the help- 
ful warnings given the king by the prophet (see verses 9, 10). But it is only temporary 
and superficial, as appears from the way in which the king turned against the prophet in 
the horrors of the siege of Samaria (see verses 31, 32). 

22. Wouldst thou smite those tvhom thou hast tahen captive tvith thy 
stvord and tvith thy horv ? This may be a question, but it is not understood so com- 
monly. It is more probably a command or permission, reading. Thou shalt smite, etc. 
The idea is to contrast those whom he takes with his sword and bow, and whom he can 
smite if he chooses, and these whom God has placed in his hands. There is an indication 
here of a different spirit from that manifested in some parts of the law, and of the Old Testa- 
ment generally. The permission to slay ordinary captives is in consonance with the law, 
and with the general regard in which Gentiles were held as the enemies of God and of his 
people; but the leniency of the prophet toward these men, whom he considers as in some 
sense his captives, is born of a different spirit. Compare Deut. 20: 13 ; and Prov. 25 : 21, 22 ; 
and contrast this action of Elisha with that of Elijah in the same circumstance (see i : 
9-12). 

23. So the hands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel : This 
put a stop to the predatory excursions, the partisan warfare, of which this raid was a speci- 
men. The history proceeds immediately with an accout of an invasion in force. 

123 



Lesson II. 



THE FAMINE IN SAMARIA. 2 Kings 7 : 1-17. 



LESSON II. 



THE FAMINE IN SAMARIA. — 2 Kings 7 : 1-17. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — This account is a good illustration of the way in which the 
historical interest is subordinated to the religious purpose of these Books of Kings. We 
are again, as in the story of Naaman, and of the attempt of the Syrians to capture Elijah, 
left in doubt as to the identity of the king of Israel ; and the incident, which must have been 
a turning-point in the wars between Israel and Syria, and a matter of prime historical 
interest, is made simply a setting for the predictive, and probably also the intercessory, 
power of the prophet, showing how, through him, deliverance out of a great national 
danger was revealed, if not brought about. And this occurs in a book intended evidently 
to be historical ; and so it shows how the religious element predominated, if not in the life 
of the nation, at least in the view of that life held by the writers of its annals. A remark- 
able and characteristic thing about this story is the answer which Elisha gives to the king's 
defiance of Jehovah, and to his threat against the life of the prophet. The king is enraged 
against Jehovah, because he thinks that this calamity comes from the Lord; and so he 
threatens the life of his prophet. Elisha's mild and gracious answer is. Wait until to-mor- 
row, and see if Jehovah is worthy of such evil thoughts. At some other time, and through 
some other prophet, the answer might have been a blight upon such blasphemous lips; but 
now it deprecates such evil thoughts of God, and asks the enraged king to wait for the next 
turn of the wheel, and see what he thinks of God then. The lesson is, that we must not 
take one revelation, nor yet another, to show us God: the only one thing that is so per- 
fect as to show us the entire mind and heart of God is the life of Jesus ; but in our study 
of the Old Testament we must take all together, in order to understand the infinite variety 
of action in the immutable God. 

God, and said, Behold, {/"the Lord 
would make windows in heaven, 
might this thing be .■* And he said. 



1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the 
word of the Lord ; Thus saith the 
Lord, To morrow about this time 
shall a measure of fine flour be sold 
for a shekel, and two measures of 
barley for a shekel, in the gate of 
Samaria. 

2 Then ^ a lord on whose hand the 
king leaned answered the man of 



Behold, thou shalt see it with thine 
eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 

3 ^ And there were four leprous 
men at the entering in of the gate : 
and they said one to another. Why 
sit we here until we die } 



I Heb. a lord ivhich belonged to the ktjig leaning upon his ha;ui, chap. 5: 18. 

NOTES. —1. A. measure of fine flour . . . ttvo measures of barley: 

This measure was a seah, equal to about one and a half pecks. A. shehel : About half an 
ounce of silver, or a shilling. This is in contrast with the state of things during the siege, 
when an ass's head sold for eighty shekels, and a cab (equal to two quarts) of dove's dung 
sold for five shekels. 

2. A. lord, on, whose hand the Tcing leaned : Literally, The chariot-warrior, 
who belonged to the king, leaning on his hand. These men formed the body-guard of the 
king, a guard of honor. As it is strange that he should be leaning on the king's hand, and 
as the change of one letter gives the more probable meaning conveyed in our English ver- 
sion, it is better to retain the latter. If the Lord ivould mahe icindows in 
heaven : The expression openiitg ox shutting the ivindozvs of heaven, generally refers 
to the sending or withholding of rain ; and here the making of windows in the heavens 
means the opening of like channels for the descent of food into the beleaguered city. 
(See Gen. 7:11; 8:2; Isa. 24: 18; Mai. 3: 10.) 

3. Four leprous men at the entering in of the gate : In accordance with the 
Levitical law, which banished the leper from the abodes of men (see Lev. 13: 46), 

124 



Lesson II. 



THE FAMINE IN SAMARIA. 2 Kings ^ '.\-\'j. 



4 If we say, We will enter into 
the city, then the famine is in the 
city, and we shall die there : and if 
we sit still here, we die also. Now 
therefore come, and let us fall unto 
the host of the Syrians : if they save 
us alive, we shall live ; and if they 
kill us, we shall but die. 

5 And they rose up in the twilight, 
to go unto the camp of the Syrians : 
and when they were come to the ut- 
termost part of the camp of Syria, 
behold, there zms no man there. 

6 For the Lord had made the 
host of the Syrians to hear a noise 
of chariots, and a noise of horses, 
even the noise of a great host : and 
they said one to another, Lo, the 
king of Israel hath hired against us 
the kings of the Hittites, and the king 
of the Egyptians, to come upon us. 

7 Wherefore they arose and fled 
in the twilight, and left their tents, 
and their horses, and their asses, 



even the camp as it was, and fled 
for their life, 

8 And when these lepers came to 
the uttermost part of the camp, they 
went into one tent, and did eat and 
drink, and carried thence silver, and 
gold, and raiment, and went and hid 
it ; and came again, and entered into 
another tent, and carried thence a/so, 
and went and hid it. 

9 Then they said one to another, 
We do not well : this day is a day 
of good tidings, and we hold our 
peace : if we tarry till the morning 
light ^ some mischief will come upon 
us : now therefore come, that we may 
go and tell the king's household. 

10 So they came and called unto 
the porter of the city : and they told 
them, saying. We came to the camp 
of the Syrians, and, behold, t/iere 
was no man there, neither voice of 
man, but horses tied, and asses tied, 
and the tents as they were. 



^ Heb. we shall find punishjnent. 



4. Jjet us fall zmto the host of the Syrians : Let us desert to the camp (see 
Jer. 37; 13; 2 Chron. 15: 9). 

5. The tittermost i)avt of the cavnj) : The outermost part, probably; i.e., the part 
nearest the city. Their exploration of the camp did not begin till afterwards apparently. 

6. The host of the Syrians : The camp of the Syrians. The kings of tJie 
JSittites, and the hings of the Egyptians : It appears from both the Assyrian 
and Egyptian monuments, that the Hittites, who were among the Canaanite inhabitants of 
the land of Palestine before its occupation by the Hebrews, retired northward before that 
invasion, and occupied two districts, — one in the northern and one in the southern part of 
Syria, — becoming a somewhat powerful people. It would be this southern confederacy 
of the Hittites, who, from their proximity to Israel, would be likely to be joined with the 
Egyptians in such an alliance. 

7. In tJie twilight : Evening, or even night, is a possible meaning of the word; and 
it would seem as if a greater darkness than twilight would be necessary in both the cases in 
which the word is used here. Their horses, and their asses : Precipitate flight 
would account for their leaving every thing else but these. These they left to make their 
escape as silent as possible. 

8. Carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment : When these Eastern people 
went to war, they did not leave the luxuries of life at home. Their common soldiers never 
had them, either at home or in camp; but their nobles imported into the camp the pomp 
and luxury of the court : so that the plunder of a camp was like that of a city. 

9. This day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace : They have 
the good tidings, and are silent about it. Sotne rnischief tvill come tipon ns : 
Punishment will find or befall us. Not some indefinite evil; but, definitely, their sin and 
its punishment will find them. 

ID. Called unto the porter of the city : and they told them : Evidently there 
was more than one gate-keeper, or guard; and so the language shifts from singular to plu- 
ral unconsciously, according as one or all are addressed. They called at first the one who 
was on guard at the time ; and then, the whole guard being awaked, they told the stoiy to 
|hem. 



125 



Lesson II. 



THE FAMINE IN SAMARIA. 2 Kings 7 : 1-17. 



11 And he called the porters ; and 
they told it to the king's house with- 
in. 

12 T And the king arose in the 
night, and said unto his servants, I 
will now shew you what the Syrians 
have done to us. They know that we 
be hungry ; therefore are they gone 
out of the camp to hide themselves in 
the field, saying, \Vhen they come 
out of the city, we shall catch them 
alive, and get into the city. 

13 And one of his servants an- 
swered and said, Let soine take, I 
pray thee, five of the horses that 
remain, which are left ^ in the city, 
(behold, they are as all the multi- 
tude of Israel that are left in it : be- 
hold, I say, they are even as all the 
multitude of the Israelites that are 
consumed :) and let us send and see. 

14 They took therefore two char- 



iot horses ; and the king sent after 
the host of the Syrians, saying, Go 
and see. 

15 And they went after them unto 
Jordan : and, lo, all the way ivas full 
of garments and vessels, which the 
Syrians had cast away in their haste. 
And the messengers returned, and 
told the king. 

16 And the people went out, and 
spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So 
a measure of fine flour was sold for 
a shekel, and two measures of barley 
for a shekel, according to the word 
of the Lord. 

17 1 And the king appointed the 
lord on whose hand he had leaned 
to have the charge of the gate : and 
the people trode upon him in the 
gate, and he died, as the man of 
God had said, who spake when the 
king came down to him. 



Heb. ill it. 



11. A-ud lie called the jiorters : And the porters called. The other translation 
leaves the pronoun he without any reference. The verb is singular; but, as it stands before 
its subject, the connection with a plural noun is not unusual in Hebrew. 

12. A-tid said xinto his servants : The officers and courtiers in attendance on his 
person are meant; officials, and not menials. Hungry : The word is a strong one, 
meaning Ja7nis/ied. We sJiall catch them alive, and get into the city : Jeho- 
ram's thought was, that the Syrians were in ambush somewhere near the camp, ready to 
take advantage of the Israelites' unarmed rush for the deserted camp, and to take them 
alive without the necessity- of a fight, at the same time getting possession of the defenceless 
city. The flight of the Syrians, when the city was all ready to fall into their hands, must 
have seemed incredible to the king, who knew nothing of the circumstances ; and this was 
a very probable explanation of the empty camp. 

13. JLet some take : Let them take. The pronoun is used indefinitely. In the 
city: Literally, in it, the reference to the city being understood. They are as all 
the mtiltitude of Israel that are left in it : That is, these men whom they send 
out to scour the countr>% and see if the Syrians have really gone, are no worse off than those 
who stay behind. They are in danger of capture, to be sure; but then, those that remain 
are in danger of famine. That are cotisiimed : That perish. The meaning is, that 
they are perishing, not that they are already consumed. They are all perishing, and the 
manner does not matter. 

14. Two chariot horses : The language is not capable of this translation. It may 
mean two horse-chariots, or two spans of horses, the complement of horses belonging to two 
chariots. The latter is more probable, as the designation horse-chariots is superfluous. 

15. Unto Jordan : To the Jordan. The route of the Syrians would probably be 
north-east, crossing the Jordan some thirt^^-five miles from Samaria, and about t%velve miles 
south of the Sea of Galilee. This is the regular road from Samaria to Syria. Was full 
of garments and vessels: Garments and baggage. The latter is the general word 
for the baggage of an army. 

16. So a measure of fine flour teas sold for a sJiehel : See verse i, and note. 

17. TJie lord on whose hand he had leaned: See on verse 2. And the 
people trode upon him in the gate : They were in the extremities of famine, and 
trod down every thing that stood in their way. 

X26 



Lesson III. 



JEHU'S FALSE ZEAL. 2 Kings low ^-t,!. 



LESSON III. 

JEHU'S FALSE ZEAL. — 2 Kings 10 : 15-31. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — In the history that comes between this lesson and the 
previous one, various changes are reported. First, the accession of Hazael to the throne 
of Syria, as had been prophesied to Elijah years before. Second, the joint reign of Jehoram 
with his father Jehoshaphat over Judah. How long this lasted, we are not told ; but Jeho- 
ram's whole reign covered eight years. He was succeeded by his son Ahaziah. Both of 
these kings married into Ahab's family, and introduced the image worship of the northern 
kingdom into Judah. Ahaziah joined Joram, king of Israel, in his war against Hazael, 
king of Syria, who was the predicted scourge of Israel. Joram was wounded at Ramoth- 
gilead, and Ahaziah went to visit him at Jezreel. This was the moment, when the allied 
armies were at Ramoth-gilead, and the two kings were at Jezreel, that Elisha seized to 
carry out the purpose announced long before to Elijah, of anointing Jehu king over Israel; 
and for this purpose he sent a young man, one of the " sons of the prophets," to Ramoth- 
gilead, where Jehu held a command in the army. Jehu immediately conferred with the 
other officers, who entered enthusiastically into his designs. Then he charged them to 
prevent any one carrying the tidings to the king; and he himself set out in his chariot, 
and drove with his proverbial fury to Jezreel. There he slew the king, and also, with the 
excess of zeal that characterized him, Ahaziah; then Jezebel; then seventy of Ahab's sons; 
then all of his kindred and servants ; and finally a company of Ahaziah's brethren, who had 
come, in ignorance of what had taken place, to salute their kindred in the king of Israel's 
family. Here our lesson begins. It is to be remembered, in connection with our tide, — 
" Jehu's False Zeal," — that he was commanded by the prophet that anointed him, to smite the 
house of Ahab to the last man, and that the Lord commended him for it, promising him 
because of it that his children should sit on his throne to the fourth generation ; and it 
may well have seemed to him a strict complement to this command, that he should destroy 
the Baal-worshippers. But his retention of the image-worship, the original, though not the 
great sin of Israel, shows him to have been rather fanatical than pure in his zeal. 



15 If And when he was departed 
thence, he ^ lighted on Jehonadab 
the son of Rechab comi^ig to meet 
him : and he ^ saluted him, and said 
to him, Is thine heart right, as my 



heart is with thy heart "i And Je- 
honadab answered, It is. If it be, 
give me thine hand. And he gave 
him his hand ; and he took him up 
to him into the chariot. 



Heb. foiaid. ^ Heb. blessed. 



NOTES. — 15. Departed thence: From the place near Samaria where he slew the 
" brethren" of the king of Judah. He lighted on tTehonndah the son of Mechah : 

He found. These Rechabites were Kenites; that is, among the original inhabitants of the 
land. Moses married into the tribe. Jael, who slew Sisera, belonged to them; and the 
connection between them and the Israelites was close from the beginning. This Jonadab 
made it a rule for the family of Rechab, his father, after he became head of it, that they 
should always dwell in tents, and should abstain from wine; and three hundred years 
after this, their obedience to this rule is contrasted with the light regard in which the men 
of Judah held the commands of Jehovah. The austerity and semi-fanaticism of the man 
made him a fit instrument for Jehu's purposes. (See i Chron. 2:55; Jer. 35.) He sa- 
luted Iiim : He blessed him. Is thine heart right : Is it right with thy heart ? Jehu 
means to ask, as the comparison with his own heart shows, if Jehonadab feels right towards 
him. It is implied that the Rechabite knew the king's deeds, and was in sympathy with 
them, as a stern rebuke of an effeminate and licentious race. It is. If it be : The He- 
brew text from which our version is taken runs: " It is, it is. Give thy hand." And there 
is no doubt that the whole is the language of Jehonadab. In the Septuagint, the words are 
inserted, " And Jehu said. If it be," after " It is." 

127 



Lesson III. 



JEHU'S FALSE ZEAL. 2 A'zV/^j lo: 15-31. 



16 And he said, Come with me, 
and see my zeal for the Lord. So 
they made him ride in his chariot. 

17 And when he came to Samaria, 
he slew all that remained unto Ahab 
in Samaria, till he had destroyed 
him, according to the saying of the 
Lord, which he spake to Elijah. 

18 \ And Jehu gathered all the 
people together, and said unto them, 
Ahab served Baal a little ; but Jehu 
shall serve him much. 

19 Now therefore call unto me all 
the prophets of Baal, all his servants, 
and all his priests ; let none be want- 
ing : for I have a great sacrifice to 
do to Baal ; whosoever shall be 
wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu 



did it in subtilty, to the intent that 
he might destroy the worshippers of 
Baal. 

20 And Jehu said, ^ Proclaim a 
solemn assembly for Baal. And 
they proclaimed //. 

21 And Jehu sent through all 
Israel : and all the worshippers of 
Baal came, so that there was not a 
man left that came not. And they 
came into the house of Baal; and 
the house of Baal was ^ful] from 
one end to another. 

22 And he said unto him that was 
over the vestry, Bring forth vest- 
ments for all the worshippers of 
Baal. And he brought them forth 
vestments. 



^ Heb. Sanctify. 2 Qr, so/ult, that they stood mouth to mouth. 

16. 3Iy zeal for the ILord : The word used is one that denotes a jealous zeal, one 
that regarded with aversion the worship paid to other gods. Thejj made him ride in 
his chariot : Jehu and his servants caused him to ride in the king's chariot. 

17. Till he had destroyed him : His race, for which the pronoun here stands. 
A.ccording to the saying of the Lord (see i Kings 21: 21) : This action is stated 
here to be in conformity with the threat of the Lord against Ahab. And, if it were simply 
this, then Jehu would have been simply the unconscious instrument of executing the divine 
purpose ; and his action, as far as he himself is concerned, might have been purely politic, 
rather than righteous. But it was also in fulfilment of the direct command given him by 
the prophet at his anointing: so that we have to decide how much selfish policy, and how 
much righteous obedience, there was in an act into which both so evidently entered. Cer- 
tainly it is the intention of the writer to bring out as strongly and exclusively as possible 
the divine and right side of this part of Jehu's action. 

18. A.hab served Baal a little ; but tlehu shall serve him mticJi : That is, 
by comparison, Ahab will seem to have served him little. There was some room for this; 
as Ahab was rather the weak instrument of Jezebel's dominant will than an active and un- 
wavering idolater, and had periods of listening to Jehovah's prophets, and of consequent 
mitigation of the divine anger against him. If Jehu had carried out his pretended purpose, 
it would have made even Ahab's idolatry insignificant; but see i Kings 16: 31, 32. 

19. TJie j^^'ophets of Haal : A prophet was a seer, one who spoke under inspira- 
tion; and it is interesting to notice that there was this class of men, as well as the sacer- 
dotal class, among the worshippers of Baai. In this respect, however, most religions are 
alike. His servants : His ordinary worshippers. In sahtilty : Subtlety is the 
proper one of these two words; but neither is quite strong enough, as the Hebrew means 
deceit, and is not a nice word like subtilty. 

20. Proclaim a solemn assembly : Sanctify a solemn assembly; appoint or in- 
stitute it as a holy thing. The word translated solemn assembly is the word used to de- 
note the meeting of the people to celebrate public religious rites, such as on the seventh day 
of the passover (see Lev. 23: 36; Num. 29: 35; Deut. 16: 8). They proclaimed it: 
Here this translation is right. 

21. Into the house of Haal (see 1 Kings 16: 32) : Unless the worshippers of Baal 
were an insignificant number, this house with its courts must have been of great size, as it 
was probably magnificent in its appointments. From one end to another : Literally, 
from mouth (that is, entrance) to mouth. 

22. To him, that was over the vestry : The wardrobe; probably the royal ward- 

128 



Lesson III. 



JEHU'S FALSE ZEAL. 2 Kings \0'.\^-^i. 



23 And Jehu went, and Jehona- 
dab the son of Rechab, mto the 
house of Baal, and said unto the 
worshippers of Baal, Search, and 
look that there be here with you 
none of the servants of the Lord, 
but the worshippers of Baal only. 

24 And when they went in to offer 
sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu 
appointed fourscore men without, 
and said, If^iny of the men whom I 
have brought into your hands escape, 
he that letteth him go, his life shall be 
for the life of him. 

25 And it came to pass, as soon 
as he had made an end of offering 
the burnt offering, that Jehu said to 
the guard and to the captains, Go in, 
and slay them ; let none come forth. 



And they smote them with ^ the edge 
of the sword; and the guard and 
the captains cast them out, and went 
to the city of the house of Baal. 

26 And they brought forth the 
^images out of the house of Baal, 
and burned them. 

27 And they brake down the im- 
age of Baal, and brake down the 
house of Baal, and made it a draught 
house unto this day. 

28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out 
of Israel. 

29 *^ Howbeit from the sins of 
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who 
made Israel to sin, Jehu departed 
not from after them, to wit, the 
golden calves that were in Beth-el, 
and that were in Dan. 



Heb. the mouth. 2 Heb. stat2ies. 



robe is meant, the king pretending to give eclat to the occasion by providing out of his 
own wardrobe suitable garments for all the worshippers. Apparently his real intention 
was to mark the Baal-worshippers by their costume. 

23. Tlie servants , . . . the ztiorshippers : Both words are the same, and should 
be rendered servants. The real purpose of this order is obvious. Its pretended object 
was to preserve the sanctity of the occasion by shutting out all adherents of another reli- 
gion, whose presence would be regarded a sacrilege. The Lord should here be rendered 
Jehovah, as the contrast with Baal in the mouth of an assumed worshipper of Baal demands. 

25. -ffe liad made an end of offer hig : Jehu offered no sacrifices himself, but the 
offering was done by his orders. The gtiard and . , . the captains : The runners 
and the chariot-warriors. Both of these bodies belonged to the body-guard of the king, the 
chariot-warriors being probably the more honorable. Cast them out, and tveiit to 
the city of the house of Haal : This should read, probably, " Destroyed them. And 
they went even to the city of the house of Baal." The first verb may mean either to cast 
down, or to cast out. The former seems more probable here, denoting the action of cut- 
ting them down, as one fells a tree. The city of the house of Baal in any other connection 
would denote the quarter of the city in which the temple was situated ; but as that makes 
no sense here, coming after the statement of the slaughter which took place within the 
precincts of the temple, it seems better to understand it of the temple itself, contrasted with 
its courts. 

26. And they brotight forth the images out of the hotise of Haal : This 
should be separated from the preceding by only a semi-colon, as denoting what they did 
after arriving at the temple itself. It is doubtful what these images are, which are here 
contrasted with the image of Baal itself. Possibly they are the mere pillars, the upright 
columns, used symbolically in the Ashtoreth-worship associated with that of Baal. The 
burning shows that they were made of wood. 

27. Wade it a draught hotise : They turned it to the lowest use, as a mark of 
contempt (see Ezra 6: 11; Dan. 2:5; 3: 29). Unto this day : The time of writing. 

29. From the sins of Jerohoam the son of Nebat : The regular expression for 
the calf-worship instituted by the first king of Israel (see i Kings 12: 28-30). This wor- 
ship was the established worship of Jehovah in the northern kingdom, as distinctive, and as 
much identified with its history, as the temple worship in the southern kingdom. Jehu was 
fierce and fanatical, and he identified the fall of Baal-worship with that of the dynasty of 

129 



Lesson IV. THE TEMPLE REPAIRED. 2 Kings \2'.\-\t^. 

30 And the Lord said unto Jehu, 31 But Jehu ^ took no heed to walk 
Because thou hast done well in exe- in the law of the Lord God of Israel 
cuting that which is right in mine with all his heart : for he departed 
eyes, afid hast done unto the house not from the sins of Jeroboam, 
of Ahab according to all that was which made Israel to sin. 
in mine heart, thy children of the 
fourth generation shall sit on the 
throne of Israel. 

^ Heb. observed fiot. 

Ahab and with his own rise. But to go farther was to endanger his new power, and was 
the work of a prophet, not of a politic king. 

30. Thy children of the fourth generation : The Une of Jehu was continued in 
Jehoahaz his son, in Jehoash his grandson, in Jeroboam his great-grandson, and in Zecha- 
riah, his great-great-grandson. The first reigned seventeen years, the second sixteen 
years, the third forty-one years, and the fourth six months, — making seventy-four years. 
This, with the twenty-eight years of Jehu, makes a hundred and two years, the whole 
period of the longest dynasty in the history of the northern kingdom. It was a fitting 
reward for so notable a task as the extinction of the debasing worship of Baal. 



LESSON IV. 

THE TEMPLE REPAIRED. — 2 Kings 12 : 1-15. 

A GENERAL VIEW. —Our lessons have followed the fortunes of Israel, since the 
division of the kingdom, a hundred and forty years before this. Now we take up, for a 
single lesson, the thread of Judah's history, and are brought back to the familiar precincts 
of the temple and of Jerusalem. In reviewing the intervening history of the southern 
kingdom, we find that Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, reigned seventeen years. His reign 
was neither righteous nor prosperous. Under him, the people practised idolatry and licen- 
tiousness, and the king of Egypt invaded the land, and plundered the temple. His son 
Abijam succeeded him, and reigned for three years, with the same general results. He 
was succeeded by his son Asa, who reigned forty-one years, during which he put down 
idolatry and licentiousness, and replaced the treasures of the temple. During all these 
reigns, there was war between Judah and Israsl; but in the reign of Jehoshaphat, the son 
of Asa, and a man of the same spirit, the king married a daughter of Ahab, the king of 
Israel, and formed an alliance with him. His reign, one of the most illustrious in the his- 
tory of the Jews, lasted twenty-five years. This alliance with Israel under Ahab bore its 
proper fruit in the reign of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, who reigned eight years over 
Judah. He also married a daughter of Ahab, and imported into Judah all the idolatries 
and impurities of Israel, for which he and his people were smitten with invasions and 
plagues. Ahaziah his son reigned a year in the same way, and shared the fate of Jehoram, 
the king of Israel, at the hands of Jehu. On his death, the queen-mother Athaliah slew all 
the king's sons, intending to reign herself; but the king's sister saved Jehoash, an infant 
at the time, from this slaughter, and hid him in the temple six years. At the end of this 
time, Jenolada the priest brought him out, and by a successful conspiracy had him pro- 
claimed and instated king ; and Athaliah was slain. It was in his reign that the restoring 
of the temple, which makes the subject of our lesson, took place. The occasion for this is 
found in 2 Chron. 24: 7, where it is related that Athaliah's sons, that is, Ahaziah and his 
brothers, had broken into the house of the Lord^ and taken its sacred vessels, and given 
them to the worship of Baal. Jehu was king of Israel at the begirming of this movement 
for the repair of the temple, and Jehoahaz his son, at its close. 

130 



Lesson IV. 



THE TEMPLE REPAIRED. 2 Kings 12 



1 In the seventh year of Jehu, 
Jehoash began to reign ; and forty 
years reigned he in Jerusalem. And 
his mother's name was Zibiah of 
Beer-sheba. 

2 And Jehoash did that which 
was right in the sight of the Lord 
all his days wherein Jehoiada the 
priest instructed him. 

3 But the high places were not 
taken away: the people still sacri- 
ficed and burnt incense in the high 
places. 

4!" And Jehoash said to the 
priests, All the money of the ^ dedi- 



cated things that is brought into the 
house of the Lord, even the money 
of every one that passeth the ac- 
cozint, ^ the money that every man 
is set at, a7id all the money that 
^Cometh into any man's heart to 
bring into the house of the Lord, 

5 Let the priests take it to them, 
every man of his acquaintance : and 
let them repair the breaches of the 
house, wheresoever any breach shall 
be found. 

6 But it was so, that *in the three 
and twentieth year of king Jehoash 
the priests had not repaired the 
breaches of the house. 



^ Or, holy things. Heb. holinesses. ^ Heb. the tti07iey of the souls of his estimation. 
Lev. 27: 2. 3 Heb. asceiideth upon the heart of a man. * Heb. in the twentieth 
year and third year. 

NOTES. — I. In the seventh year of tfehu : It was in his own eighth year (see 
11: 21). Jehoash was the son of Ahaziah, and so AthaUah was his grandmother. Jehosha- 
beath, who had saved his Ufe, was his aunt; and, as she had married Jehoiada, the high- 
priest was his uncle. Seer-sheba : The proverbial place, marking the southern limit of 
Palestine. 

2. Did , . . right . , . all his days ivherein Jehoiada the priest in- 
structed him : During the minority of the king, Jehoiada assumed the regency, and 
maintained his influence over him during all his life ; but after his death, the weak king 
fell into the hands of evil men, and set up the idolatrous worship of his father's and his 
grandfather's reign again; and when Zechariah, the son of the faithful Jehoiada, rebuked 
this sin, the king had him put to death. 

3. But the high places were not taJien atvay : The standing expression for 
the fault in the service of Judah, as the sin of Jeroboa7n the son of Nebat, -wherewith 
he made Israel to sin, is for the sin of Israel. The high places were chapels or altars 
erected on the hills. They were used for idolatrous worship when that prevailed, or for 
the worship of Jehovah when that was the religion of the land. The sin, or irregularity, 
in their use was the disregard of the provision confining worship to one sanctuary. Evi- 
dently, this sin was not recognized as such by the persons against whom it is alleged ; but 
this is the construction put on it by the historians, who belonged to a later period. In this 
case, for instance, it is evident that Jehoiada did not know of the regulation, or he would 
have included it in his sweeping reform, as it was a rule putting the worship into the hands 
of the priestly order to which he belonged. 

4. All the money of the dedicated things : The silver dedicated to the temple. 
Of this, three kinds are specified: First, the mo7tey of every one that passeth the account; 
i.e., of those that passed before the census taker, when he was numbering the people. All 
such, above twenty years of age, were required to pay what was called the half-shekel of 
the sanctuary (see Exod. 20: 12-16). Second, the mo7tey that every jnan is set at ; i.e., 
the valuation that the priest puts on every man who comes to make an offering of himself 
to the Lord. This value was set by the law in ordinary cases ; but, where the person was 
too poor to pay this, then the priest fixed the valuation. Third, the freewill offerings of 
the people for the sanctuary. 

5. Every man of his acquaintance : The priests were to turn collectors, and 
each man was to gather these offerings in his own neighborhood, among his acquaintances 
and friends. 

6. In the three and twentieth year of king J'ehoash : We do not know how 



Lesson IV. 



THE TEMPLE REPAIRED. 2 Kings 12:1-1 1^. 



7 Then king Jehoash called for 
Jehoiada the priest, and the other 
priests, and said unto them, Why 
repair ye not the breaches of the 
house ? now therefore receive no 
more money of your acquaintance, 
but deliver it for the breaches of 
the house. 

8 And the priests consented to 
receive no more money of the people, 
neither to repair the breaches of the 
house. 

9 But Jehoiada the priest took a 
chest, and bored a hole in the lid of 
it, and set it beside the altar, on the 
right side as one cometh into the 
house of the Lord : and the priests 
that kept the ^ door put therein all 
the money that was brought into the 
house of the Lord. 

10 And it was so, when they saw 
that thej-e tuas much money in the 
chest, that the king's ^scribe and the 



high priest came up, and they ^ put 
up in bags, and told the money that 
was found in the house of the 
Lord. 

1 1 And they gave the money, be- 
ing told, into the hands of them that 
did the work, that had the oversight 
of the house of the Lord : and they 
'*laid it out to the carpenters and 
builders, and wrought upon the 
house of the Lord, 

12 And to masons, and hewers of 
stone, and to buy timber and hewed 
stone to repair the breaches of the 
house of the Lord, and for all that 
^ was laid out for the house to repair 
it. 

13 Howbeit there were not m.ade 
for the house of the Lord bowls of 
silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any 
vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, 
of the money that zuas brought into 
the house of the Lord : 



I Heb. threshold. 



Or. 



secretary. 3 Heb. bound np. 
s Heb. %ue7it forth. 



4 Heb. lirought it forth. 



early in his reign this order had been given, and so are ignorant how long the priests had 
been delaying the matter. 

7. Isoxv therefore receive no more money of yoxir acquaintance , hut 
deliver it for the breaches of the house : For ye shall give it for the breaches of 
the house. The question is, how they were to give what they had not received. It means 
that, instead of receiving it themselves, they were to give it up, and let the control of it 
pass into other hands. Having had the control of it before, as the custodians, and in part 
the beneficiaries, of the temple gifts, they had appropriated this money to its ordinary uses, 
instead of to the extraordinar>' purpose of repairing the temple. 

8. And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, 
neither to repair the breaches of the Jionse : They gave up the custody and use 
of these moneys, and were relieved of the burden of repairing the temple. This statement 
applies only to the revenue derived from the three sources mentioned above. The trespass- 
money and sin-money are expressly excepted from it in verse 16. 

9. And set it beside the altar : The altar of burnt ofiering in the court. As this altar 
was east of the temple itself, the right side of it, as one enters the temple, is the north side. 

10. The hinr/'s scribe and the high jiriest : The king's secretary. The priests 
were the legal custodians of this sacred money, and they gave it up for only a temporary 
purpose. The high-priest was here, therefore, to represent them in turning the money over 
to the king. The scribe, or secretary', who represented the king, was a high officer who 
wrote the royal letters and decrees, managed the finances, and so on. They put up in, 
hags, and told the money : They tied up and counted the money. 

11. They gave tlie money, being told : Which was weighed out. Money was 
not coined, but came in bars, of which pieces were cut off and paid by weight. That 
had the oversight of the house of the Lord : Not the general oversight, in which 
case it would be the priests, but the superintendence of this work of repair. And they 
laid it out to the rarpcjiters aud builders : They drew it out for. The money, 
that is to say, was put directly into the hands of the various master-builders, and paid out ' 
by them to their employees and to the parties furnishing material for the work. 

13. Bowls of silver : The vessels, basins, snuffers, etc., of the temple were origin- 

132 



Lesson V, 



DEATH OF ELISHA. 2 Kings iy.\^-2^. 



14 But they gave that to the work- 
men, and repaired therewith the 
house of the Lord. 

15 Moreover they reckoned not 



with the men, into whose hand they 
delivered the money to be bestowed 
on workmen : for they dealt faith- 
fully. 



ally gold or brass; but in the changes since the time of Solomon, involving the depletion 
and re-furnishing of the house several times, there was room for the substitution of silver. 
In 2 Chron. 24: 14, it is said that the balance of the money, after the repair of the house, 
was spent upon these things. It is possible to reconcile the two by the supposition that the 
statement here refers only to what was done during the repair of the house. 

15. They reckoned not tvith the men . . . for they dealt faithfully : 
That is, they did not require an account of money received and expended from them, be- 
cause they found them trustworthy. 



LESSON V. 

DEATH OF ELISHA. — 2 Kings 13:14-25. 

A GENERAL VIEV/", — Elisha had become the attendant of Elijah some seventy 
years before this, during the reign of Ahab. He had begun his own career as a prophet 
ten years afterwards, near the beginning of the reign of Jehoram, Ahab's son. He had, 
therefore, been the contemporary of five kings. The crisis in the history of the nation that 
had called out these prophets was the rise of Baal-worship in the land, under the influ- 
ence of Ahab, the evil genius of Israel. Up to the time of the anointing of Jehu, Elisha's 
work in this direction had been apparently to keep before the king and the nation the 
greatness of Jehovah, sometimes in direct contrast with other gods, but for the most part 
without any such contrast. It had been mostly, too, of a beneficent character, as if God 
would win his people, instead of chastising them for their sins, forming, in this respect, a 
strong contrast to the work of Elijah. But with the accession of Jehu came the time fore- 
told to Elijah for the final extinction of Ahab's idolatrous race, and for a crushing blow 
against the worship of Baal. With this, therefore, the special occasion of Elisha's pro- 
phetic activity ceased, and we hear nothing more of him till this account of his death. 
However, Jehoash the king seems to be well acquainted with his greatness, fifty years after 
the accession of Jehu; and we may suppose, therefore, that his life had not been idle or in- 
conspicuous during that time. He would always be remembered with gratitude by the 
kings of Jehu's dynasty, as the founder of their line. Since the time of Jehu's extirpation 
of the Baal-worshippers, which formed the subject of our last lesson but one, Jehu had 
reigned twenty-eight years, and Jehoahaz his son eighteen years. Both reigns have little 
recorded of them, except the continued and successful war of Syria against Israel. It is 
Elisha's prophecy of deliverance from this, that lights up this story of his death. 



14 1[ Now Elisha was fallen sick 
of his sickness whereof he died. 
And Joash the king of Israel came 
down unto him, and wept over his 



face, and said, O my father, my fa- 
ther, the chariot of Israel, and the 
horsemen thereof. 

15 And Elisha said unto him, 



NOTES. — 14. JElisha ivas fallen sick : He must have been about ninety years 
old at this time, according to the length of the several reigns given in the history; but 
these numbers are the most doubtful parts of the history. Joash the king of Israel : 
It has just been recorded of him, that he slept with his fathers, and now there begins a 
history of his reign. Evidently, in this case, there is no attempt at chronological arrange- 
ment. The history is not compactly written. Joash (or Jehoash) was the son of Jehoa- 
haz and grandson of Jehu. Wept over his face : This is a possible meaning of the 
language employed, but more probably it means, wept before him. My fatlier, tny 
father f the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof: The chariots. 

133 



Lesson V. 



DEATH OF ELISHA. 



2 Kings 13:14-25. 



Take bow and arrows. And he 
took unto him bow and arrows. 

16 And he said to the king of 
Israel,^ Put thine hand upon the bow. 
And he put his hand upon it: and 
Elisha put his hands upon the king's 
hands. 

17 And he said, Open the window 
eastward. And he opened it. Then 
Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. 
And he said, The arrow of the 
Lord's deliverance, and the arrow 
of deliverance from Syria : for thou 
shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, 
till thou have consumed thein. 



18 And he said. Take the arrows. 
And he took the7n. And he said 
unto the king of Israel, Smite upon 
the ground. And he smote thrice, 
and stayed. 

19 And the man of God was wroth 
with him, and said, Thou shouldest 
have smitten five or six times ; then 
hadst thou smitten Syria till thou 
hadst consumed it: whereas now 
thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. 

20 T[ And Elisha died, and they 
buried him. And the bands of the 
Moabites invaded the land at the 
coming in of the year. 



Heb. Make thine hand to ride. 



The coincidence of this with Elisha's own lament over Elijah is noticeable. It is in itself a 
striking lament over the departure of a great man, — as if the strength and defence of the 
nation went with him, — and having once been used, whether by Elisha or some one else, 
it would come naturally into familiar use. The lament of the king did not come from any 
appreciation of the religious worth of the prophet, for we are told that Jehoash did that which 
was evil in the sight of the Lord; but his reign had fallen on troublous times, when Israel 
was ground under the heel of its powerful neighbor Syria. This had begun in the reign of 
Jehu (see 10: 32, 33), and had continued and increased in the reign of Jehoahaz (see verses 
3, 7) ; and Jehoash did feel, that, in the death of the prophet, the nation was losing its 
great bulwark, and intercessor with the God of Israel. 

16. A.nd he put his hand upon it : and Elisha put his hands tipon the 
Tiing's hands : The familiar sign of blessing, and also of the transmission of miraculous 
power. Elisha signified by it that he conveyed the divine blessing to the arms of the king. 
He answered and consoled the king by this assurance, that, though he departed, he left his 
blessing behind him. 

17. Open the icindoiv easttvard : He wished it opened toward the scene of Israel's 
wars with Syria. The territory that Syria captured from Jehu was east of the Jordan, 
the districts of Gilead and Bashan, from the river Arnon about midway of the Dead Sea 
northwards ; and Aphek, which is designated in the prophecy as the scene of the prom- 
ised discomfiture of Syria, is in the same territory-. TJie arrow of the JLord's de- 
liverance, and the arroiv of deliverance from Syria: Probably, considering 
the preposition before the word Syria, it should read the Lord's victory, and victory 
over Syria. The prophet saw in the king's arms the instrument that Jehovah would use 
to give victory over Israel's enemies. Till thou have consumed them : The prom- 
ise is not only of victory, but of extermination. 

18. Smite -upon the ground: This verb is used of smiting with a weapon held in 
the hand, or with a missile thrown from the hand; and here as the weapon used is a mis- 
sile, and there were several of them in the king's hand, it is probable that he shot them, one 
by one, to the ground. 

19. The man of God teas ivroth witJi him : This may strike us as a trivial 
cause for such anger; but probably he saw a listlessness in the king's maimer, of which 
the number of arrows shot was an indication. And this would betray a lack of faith. For 
if there had been real faith, so that, as the prophet spoke, the vision of the discomfited Syria 
came before the king's imagination, he would have entered into the prophet's pantomime, 
and shot out his arrows as if at a real foe. 

20. And Elisha died, and they buried Jiim : Josephus says that " he received 
a funeral befitting his greatness." TJie bands of the Moabites invaded the land 
at the coining in of the year : That is, according to the Jewish calendar, in the 

134 



Lesson V. 



DEATH OF ELISHA. 2 ^z«^^j 13: 14-25. 



21 And it came to pass, as they 
were burying a man, that, behold, 
they spied a band of men ; and they 
cast the man into the sepulchre of 
Elisha: and when the man ^ was let 
down, and touched the bones of 
Elisha, he revived, and stood up on 
his feet. 

22 T[ But Hazael king of Syria 
oppressed Israel all the days of 
Jehoahaz. 

23 And the Lord was gracious 
unto them, and had compassion on 
them, and had resjDect unto them. 



because of his covenant with Abra- 
ham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would 
not destroy them, neither cast he 
them from his ^ presence as yet. 

24 So Hazael king of Syria died ; 
and Ben-hadad his son reigned in 
his stead. 

25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoa- 
haz ^ took again out of the hand of 
Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the 
cities, which he had taken out of the 
hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. 
Three times did Joash beat him, and 
recovered the cities of Israel. 



^ Heb. went down. ^ Heb. face. 3 Heb. rettirned and took. 



spring. The power of the Moabites to make war in force against Israel had been pretty- 
effectually broken in their disastrous overthrow at the beginning of Jehoram's reign (see 
3' 5~25). These invasions are only the predatory excursions of marauding bands, such as 
belong to border lands. 

21. They spied a hand : The band; i.e., of the Moabites. They cast the man 
into the sepulchre of Elisha : They were alarmed at the approach of the enemy, 
and thrust the man in anywhere. The Jews buried their dead in natural caves or crevices 
of the rocks and hills, or in artificial cells excavated in the same; and so an event like 
this is quite natural, as it would be to thrust a body in haste into the wrong chamber of a 
tomb now. A-nd xvhen the man teas let down, and touched the hones of 
Elisha : And he came and touched the bones. As the body was thrust (not lowered) 
into the tomb, it came to the place where Elisha was buried, and touched his bones. This 
miracle was remembered by the Jews as the crowning glory of Elisha's career, and it was 
certainly very wonderful. 

22. Oppressed Israel all the days of tfehoahaz : The history goes back again 
here, but not so capriciously as in verse 14. Here it recapitulates the story of Syria's 
oppression during the reign of Jehoahaz, in order to introduce the story of deliverance in 
the time of Jehoash. 

23. Sad respect unto them : Turned unto them, took their part. Secanse of 
his covenant tvith Ahrahantf Isaac, and tlacoh : In giving reason for this same 
mercy to Judah, God's covenant with David is remembered (see i Kings 15: 4, 5); but 
here it is necessary to go back to the patriarchs, and find some righteousness in which Is- 
rael, as well as Judah, had a part. Neither cast he them from his presence as 
yet : This is said evidently with reference to a time, already past when this was written, 
in which they were cast off. 

24. So Hazael Icing of Syria died : And Hazael . . . died. There seems to be 
some connection between his death and Israel's recovery of its lost ground. He was evi- 
dently a powerful and energetic prince, whose success over his enemies was foreseen, so 
that he was the foreordained scourge of Israel. His son Benhadad, on the contrary, was 
apparendy a weak prince, in whose hands the power of Syria waned. Notice that Hazael 
gave to his son the name Benhadad, which belonged to the dynasty that he displaced. It 
means son of Hadad, and Hadad was the name of some Syrian deity. The name was 
probably a religious title of the Syrian kings. 

25. Three times did Joash heat him (see verses 18, 19) : This recovery of 
Israel from under the hand of Syria was completed by Jeroboam the son of Jehoash, who 
pushed his conquest so as to " recover" Damascus, and even Hamath, which lay over a 
hundred and seventy miles north of Damascus. 

13s 



Lesson VI. 



THE STORY OF JONAH. 



Jon. 1 : 1-17. 



LESSON VI. 

THE STORY OF JONAH. — Jon. 1:1-17. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — This account of Jonah is one of the most singular and 
interesting things in the Old Testament. The remarkable story with which it begins has 
had the result of distracting attention from the really more important events that follow, 
in which there is the same difficulty that characterizes the whole account, and yet a unique 
interest and significance. As to the story of the great fish, we scarcely think that the diffi- 
culty is simply the same as in any miracle. There is a grotesqueness about this, that leaves 
a doubt in some minds that have no difficulty at all with the miracles of Jesus; but to 
believers in the infallible Scriptures, the objection is not insuperable. But, when we pass 
on from this to the prophet's work, we find some things more important and interesting than 
this. In the first place, Assyria and Israel had not crossed each other's path before this. 
The Israelites were girdled about with numerous nations, — Egypt being a first-class power, 
and Syria nearly that, but the rest being comparatively small and unimportant peoples; 
and their dealings and contentions had been, up to this time, with these immediate neigh- 
bors. For a prophet like Elisha to interfere in the affairs of one of these nations, like 
Syria, was not, therefore, specially strange. It was an indirect way of influencing the 
course of events in his own country. But to cross the Euphrates, which separated Israel 
from the regions beyond, and to advance even to the Tigris, at a time when events had not 
traversed the intervening hundreds of miles, and to do this single-handed and alone, on a 
strange, prophetic mission, is, to say the least, a strange episode in the history of this 
remarkable Israelitish nation. But more significant than this is the mission of Jonah to 
a Gentile people. It is one of the few cases in which God appears, in the Old Testament, 
as the God of the whole earth, and not of the Jewish people only; and the insertion of 
the history into the canon is an indication of a broader spirit among the Jews themselves 
than the general drift of their history and literature witnesses. It is like the Book of Ec- 
clesiastes in this respect, that it is a sign of cross-currents in Jewish thought — a mark that 
the peculiarities of Judaism were, after all, only dominant and not exclusive. There is, at 
least, this book to show that the religious exclusiveness of the Jews, which made the '* iin- 
circumcised Gentiles " an outside, hated world, was not the only thought about the rest of 
the nations that found place among them. 



I Now the word of the Lord came 
unto ^ Jonah the son of Amittai, say- 
ing, 



2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that 
great city, and cry against it; for 
their wickedness is come up before 
me. 



^ Called, Matt. 12; 39, Jonas. 



NOTES. — I. tTonah the son of A/mittai : There is one mention of this prophet 
in the historical books, in 2 Kings 14: 25, where Jeroboam's re-extension of the territory of 
Israel is said to have been prophesied by him. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, 
we may suppose, therefore, that Jonah was a contemporary of this king, B.C. 825-789. 
According to this, he was a little the senior of Amos, Hosea, and Joel, and the earliest of 
the minor prophets. In 2 Kings, he is said to belong to Gath-hepher. This was a little 
place in the tribe of Zebulun, about midway between the Nazareth and Cana of our Lord's 
time, and not more than two or three miles from either. The tomb of Jonah is still shown 
there. 

2. Arise, qo to Ninei^eh, that great city : The great city. This was the capital 
of Assyria, and one of the oldest and greatest cities recorded in history. It was founded 

136 



Lesson VI. 



THE STORY OF JONAH. 



Jon. 1 : 1-17. 



3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto 
Tarshish from the presence of the 
Lord, and went down to Joppa; 
and he found a ship going to Tar- 
shish : so he paid the fare thereof, 
and went down into it, to go with 
them unto Tarshish from the pres- 
ence of the Lord. 

4 1[ But the Lord ^ sent out a 
great wind into the sea, and there 
was a mighty tempest in the sea, so 
that the ship was ^ like to be broken. 



5 Then the mariners were afraid, 
and cried every man unto his god, 
and cast forth the wares that were 
in the ship into the sea, to lighten // 
of them. But Jonah was gone down 
into the sides of the ship; and he 
lay, and was fast asleep. 

6 So the shipmaster came to him, 
and said unto him, What meanest 
thou, O sleeper .? arise, call upon 
thy God, if so be that God will 
think upon us, that we perish not. 



^ Heb. cast forth. 2 Heb. thotight to be brokejt. 



by Nimrod, the grandson of Ham (see Gen 10: 8-12). It is said to be a three-days' jour- 
ney about its walls (chap. 3:3), and in profane history they are said to have been sixty 
miles in circumference. In accordance with these statements, ruins have been found on 
the site of the ancient city, in several groups, each of them several miles in circumference, 
and at distances of miles from each other; all of which, if not enclosed by a single wall, 
probably belonged to the " great city." The city was destroyed B. C. 606, some two hun- 
dred years after this. A^nd cry against it : The object of God in denouncing the sin 
of the Ninevltes, and its punishment, was to lead to their repentance. This is so in the 
nature of things, and it appears also in the sequel (see chap. 3) . 

3. Itose tip to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the JLord: In the 
other passages in the Old Testament in which Tarshish occurs, it is probable that Tartes- 
sus, a Phoenician settlement on the southern coast of Spain, is meant. Here, more proba- 
bly, a nearer place is intended; and the identity of name makes it at least a plausible con- 
jecture that Tarsus in Cilicia is the place. What from the presence of means, would be 
very plain if the presence were that of a man; and it accords strictly with the anthropo- 
morphic language of the Hebrews, that it should be used of the divine presence, even 
though that is universal, and so cannot be avoided. He wished to escape from the land 
where Jehovah had appeared to him, and where he was in the habit of manifesting himself, 
and so, if possible, from the disagreeable task imposed on him. It appears, moreover, in 
this history, and throughout the Old Testament, that this was something more than a mat- 
ter of language, — that the Hebrews had very human ways of regarding and treating 
Jehovah. Joppa : The seaport of Jerusalem. It might have been from some place in 
southern Palestine that Jonah fled, since there were other ports more accessible and safer 
farther north. The reason that Jonah avoided this mission is stated in 4: 2. It was not 
the greatness or difficulty or danger of the task that he feared: but his apprehension was, 
that the Ninevites would repent, and so escape the doom denounced against them; and 
he did not wish to be the messenger of God's mercy to the hated Gentiles. 

5. A.nd cried every man unto his god : The vessels of this coast were Phoeni- 
cian; and their crews were probably the motley mixture of all races, with each man having 
his own god, that a ship's crew generally presents. To lighten it of them : This 
would mean to lighten the ship of her burden, so that she would ride more easily; but 
the Hebrew will not bear this meaning, except indirectly. It means, to lighten the bur- 
den, ox lift it, from themselves ; i.e., to lift the impending danger from them. The 
sides of the ship : The hold. Jonah had gone there, and fallen asleep, probably before 
the storm. 

6. What meanest thou, O sleeper ? The expression is one of surprise at his 
sleeping, and asks what is the matter with him, that he sleeps in such a storm. Call upon 
thy Godf if so be that God tvill tliink upon tts ; Call upon thy god, if so be that 
the god will bethink himself of us. To print the word God with a capital initial, and omit 
the article before the second one, is to import the Hebrew monotheism into the idolatrous 

137 



Lesson VI. 



THE STORY OF JONAH. 



yo?i. 1 : 1-17. 



7 And they said every one to his 
fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, 
that we may know for whose cause 
this evil is upon us. So they cast 
lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. 

8 Then they said unto him, Tell 
us, we pray thee, for whose cause 
this evil is upon us; What is thine 
occupation ? and whence comest 
thou } what is thy country } and of 
what people art thou ? 

9 And he said unto them, I am an 
Hebrew ; and I fear ^ the Lord, the 
God of heaven, which hath made 
the sea and the dry land. 



10 Then were the men ^exceed- 
ingly afraid, and said unto him, Why 
hast thou done this } For the men 
knew that he fled from the presence 
of the Lord, because he had told 
them. 

11 TfThen said they unto him, 
What shall we do unto thee, that the 
sea ^ may be calm unto us ? for the 
sea ^ wrought, and was tempestuous. 

12 And he said unto them. Take 
me up, and cast me forth into the 
sea ; so shall the sea be calm unto 
you : for I know that for my sake 
this great tempest is upon you. 



I Or, JEHOVAH. 2 Heb. with g-r eat fear . 3 Heb. maybe silent from us. ■♦ Or, 
grew 7)iore and more tempestuous. Heb. wetit. 



captain's mouth. What he wants is, that Jonah should pray to his god, as the rest of 
them were doing, with the chance that one of them might light on the god who was making 
this disturbance, and appease him. 

7. Come, and let tis cast lots, that tve may 'know for whose cause this 
evil is upon us : Their prayers had not averted the storm, and so they concluded that 
there was some one among them who had offended the gods. For the common belief about 
deciding a matter by lot, see Prov. 16: 33. 

8. Tell us, tve pray thee, for tvhose cause tJiis evil is upon us : They 
had traced the evil so far as to connect it with him. It is characteristic of the moderation 
with which these heathen act throughout, that they do not immediately decide that he is 
guilty, but only that he knows the cause of their trouble. The other questions are meant 
to throw light on the cause of the disaster. 

9. I am an Hebreiv : This is the name by which the Jews were kno^vn among 
foreigners, as Israelite denotes them among themselves. It is a descriptive word, denoting 
them as people who came from beyond the River Euphrates, as distinguished from the 
Canaanites, the original inhabitants of Palestine. A.nd I fear the Lord : And I fear 
Jehovah. The translation Lord is allowable in some places, where it makes no difference 
whether a name or a descriptive title is used; but here the distinctive name, and not the 
title, which heathen would apply to any god, is necessary, and should be preserved in the 
translation. The statement that he fears Jehovah is to be taken in its ordinary sense, — 
that he reverences or worships him. Who made the sea and the dry land : And 
who is therefore the author of this storm. 

10. Then uiere the men exceedingly afraid : Literally, And the men feared a 
great fear. For the men Jcnetv that he fled from the presence of the Z,ord, 
because he had told them: Their fear, that is to say, came from what Jonah said 
about the power of his God, and from the certainty that the storm was due to his anger. 

11. What shall we do unto thee, that the sea mag be calm unto us ? 
May subside from upon us, literally. The sea was upon them, in a hostile sense, — it was 
overwhelming them; and as it subsided, this ceased. For the sea tvrought, and 
was tempestuous : For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 

12. Take me tip and cast nie forth into the sea. Jonah saw that the Lord 
had sent the storm to prevent his continuing the voyage, and that when this was accom- 
plished, the sea would subside. He was a prophet of Jehovah, accustomed to connect sin 
and punishment together in the case of others; and it was plain enough to him that his 
attempt to escape from the presence of Jehovah had had this disastrous ending. To sup- 
pose that he had had further intimation as to the events that were to follow, is gratuitous. 

138 



Lessoft VIL EFFECT OF JONAH'S PREACHING, yon.y.i-io. 



13 Nevertheless the men ^ rowed 
hard to bring it to the land ; but 
they could not : for the sea wrought, 
and was tempestuous against them. 

14 Wherefore thev cried unto the 
Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O 
Lord, we beseech thee, let us not 
perish for this man's life, and lay 
not upon us innocent blood : for 
thou, O Lord, hast done as it 
pleased thee. 



15 So they took up Jonah, and 

cast him forth into the sea : and the 
sea ^ ceased from her raging. 

16 Then the men feared the Lord 
exceedingly, and -^offered a sacrifice 
unto the Lord, and made vows. 

17 "f Now the Lord had prepared 
a great fish to swallow up Jonah. 
And Jonah was in the '^ belly of the 
fish three days and three nights. 



^ Heb. digged. 



Heb. stood 3 Heb. sacrificed a sacrifice unto the Lord, a7id 
vowed vows. 4 Heb. bowels. 



13. The men, vowed hard to bring it to the land : To bring it back to the land. 
The merchant ships of the ancients were not propelled entirely by oars, but were fitted with 
banks of oars for such emergencies as this. The word used here is a figurative term, but 
it probably applies to rowing. For the sea tvrouf/Iit, and ivas tempestuous 
(see on verse 11) : This conduct of the sailors, in attempting to bring Jonah back to land 
when they had been told that they needed only to cast him overboard, is generous and 
considerate, and in keeping with what we have seen already in verse 8. It shows, too, a 
disposition in them to look at the favorable thing in Jonah's case, — that he was a prophet 
of this powerful god Jehovah, — as well as the adverse fact that he was at this time in 
disgrace. Whether it is intended or not, there is a contrast throughout the book between 
Jews and Gentiles ; and it is favorable to the latter. 

14. Wherefore, they cried mi to the Lord : And they cried unto Jehovah. Xa?/ 
not upon us iyinocent blood : In spite of the prophet's denunciation of himself, they 
saw in his bearing and manner what convinced them that he was a holy man, whose death 
they feared would be laid at their door, as the shedding of innocent blood. For thou, 
JLord, hastd'meas it pleased thee: They were following out the evident design 
of Jehovah, though they could not see clearly the reason of it. But the storm, the result 
of the lot, Jonah's own confession, and finally the failure of their attempt to bring him to 
shore, had all been Jehovah's carrying out of his pleasure ; and it was this that had led, as 
they supposed, to Jonah's certain death. 

16. Then the men feared the Z,ord exceedingly : The sudden cessation of 
the storm, in connection with the whole preceding course of events, led them to feel that 
they were indeed dealing with a true and powerful deity. 

17. Noiv the Lord had prepared a great fish : The verb does not necessarily 
denote creation specially for this purpose, but simply appointment. He was designated by 
Jehovah to do this work. 



LESSON VIL 



EFFECT OF JONAH'S PREACHING.— Jon. 3:1-10. 

A GENERAL VIEW. —We have spoken already of the singular character of 
Jonah's mission. He was a Hebrew prophet, belonging to a nation which believed that 
theirs was the one true God, and that they alone were his people. All other nations they 
regarded as God's enemies, and therefore exposed to his wrath; and they believed that the 
divine favor and mercy were reserved for them. All their religious literature is imbued 
with this view, that they had an exclusive right in Jehovah, and that as there was no other 
god to fall back upon, the condition of the other nations was one without hope. Moreover, 
this was a state of things in which they gloried, and which they did not wish to see cease. 
The other nations were their enemies; and they did not wish, therefore, to see them ad- 

139 



Lesson VIL EFFECT OF JONAH'S PREACHING. >;/. 3:1-10. 

mitted to God's favor, except on terms of absorption in Judaism. For a Hebrew prophet, 
therefore, to be sent to one of these other nations with a warning of its doom, such as might 
result in its repentance, and so in averting that doom, was the transfer to another people of 
those gracious divine methods that the Jews appropriated to themselves. But the effect of 
this preaching was equally remarkable. The Ninevites, although strangers to Israel's 
God, and though Jonah's preaching was accompanied by no miraculous sign, and there 
does not seem to have been any thing in the state of the nation to confirm the prophet's 
warning, yet repented, so that the threatened destruction was turned aside. It can be ac- 
counted for only as one of those strange excitements of popular feeling, in which the ordi- 
nary slow processes of national change are replaced by a sudden cataclysm, a flood of 
strange excitements. We have to deal here, moreover, with an Eastern people, in whom 
such sudden outbreaks are not unusual. And, in the absence of other causes, we may 
picture to ourselves Jonah as a man fitted to produce this effect. He impressed the Phoe- 
nician sailors with his holiness ; and we may well believe that there was that awe and ear- 
nestness about the man and his words, that carried conviction, and impressed men that here 
was one who had commerce with the heavenly powers. 

1 And the word of the Lord came I 4 And Jonah began to enter into 
unto Jonah the second time, saying, : the city a day's journey, and he 

2 Arise, Go unto Nineveh, that cried, and said, Yet forty days, and 



great city, and preach unto it the 
preaching that I bid thee. 

3 So Jonah arose, and went unto 



Nineveh shall be overthrown. 

5 Y So the people of Nineveh be- 



Nineveh, according to the word of | lieved God, and proclaimed a fast, 
the Lord. Now Nineveh was an \ and put on sackcloth, from the 
' exceeding great city of three days' \ greatest of them even to the least 
journey. I of them. 

^ Heb. of God : So Gen. 30: 8; Ps. 36: 6; and 80: 10. 

NOTES. — 2. Preach unto it the lyreaching : This word preach is made to do 
duty in translating a number of words in both the Old and New Testaments, and the color 
and variety of the original is lost by just so much. Here the meaning is Cry the cry, as 
in verse 4. He was sent, not to reason with the people, or indulge in prolonged discourse, 
but to cry out in the streets of their great city its doom. 

3. A.^1 exceeding great city of three days' journey : A city great unto God, 
etc. The Hebrew has this way of denoting what is extraordinary. The three days' jour- 
ney is probably a time-measure of the circuit of the walls, making, according to the differ- 
ent lengths ascribed to a day's walk or march, between fifty and sixty miles (see on i : 2). 

4. ^nd Jonah began to enter into the city a day's Journey : The diffi- 
culty of this expression is increased by translating the infinitive enter instead of go. He 
began to go into, or to penetrate, the city, and got as far as one day's walk, when he found 
that the effect had been produced, and he stopped. Yet forty days, and Xineveh 
shall be overthrown : That is, forty days more, and it shall be destroyed. The word 
overthrown is in the original a strong word, being the same as that used to denote the 
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

5. So tlie i)eople of Xiiieveh believed God: And . . . believed in God. The 
word for God throughout the chapter is not the distinctive name " Jehovah," but the gen- 
eral term " god " applicable to any deitj^ or to deity in general; and this represents, proba- 
bly, the truth of thi^ matter. The sin dwelt on in this preaching of Jonah does not seem 
to have been the worship of false gods, in which case the repentance of Nineveh would 
have been simply unaccountable, but evil ways and \4olence (verse 8) ; and so the repent- 
ance does not single out any particular god, but addresses itself to the god who dwells in 
the heavens, whoever he may be. jLnd put on sackclotJi : A coarse, rough cloth, 
used for sacking, sieves, etc., but especially as a sign of mourning or humiliation. 

140 



Lesson VIL EFFECT OF JONAH'S PREACHING. Jon. y.i-\o. 



6 For word came unto the king 
of Nineveh, and he arose from his 
throne, and he laid his robe from 
him, and covered Jiiin with sack- 
cloth, and sat in ashes. 

7 And he caused it to be pro- 
claimed and ^ published through 
Nineveh by the decree of the king 
and his ^nobles, saying. Let neither 
man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste 
any thing : let them not feed, nor 
drink water : 

8 But let man and beast be cov- 



ered with sackcloth, and cry mightily 
unto God : yea, let them turn every 
one from his evil way, and from the 
violence that is in their hands. 

9 Who can tell if God will turn 
and repent, and turn away from his 
fierce anger, that we perish not "i 

10 \ And God saw their works, 
that they turned from their evil way ; 
and God repented of the evil, that 
he had said that he would do unto 
them ; and he did it not. 



Heb. said. ^ Heb. great men. 



6. For word came unto the hing of Niiieveh : And the word came. The king 
cf Nineveh is the king of Assyria, having his capital at Nineveh. Who this king was, we 
cannot tell exactly. There were three kings contemporary with Jonah, supposing him to 
have lived in the period assigned him in the preceding lesson. Se laid his robe from 
him : That is, the wide cloak or mantle forming his outside garment, and made of some 
rich material, substituting for it the coarse sackcloth. A^nd sat in ashes : In the 
ashes. This is as common an expression of sorrow as the sackcloth; the person either 
sprinkling ashes over him, or sitting on a heap of them, or even wallowing in them. The 
general purpose is the disfigurement of the person (see Matt. 6: i6). 

7. A.nd he caused it to be jn'ocla lined and published : And he made procla- 
mation, and said. A^nd his nobles : His great men. Let neither man tior beast : 
This extension of the fast to their flocks and herds is in line with the general Eastern 
demonstrativeness, especially in religious matters. They naturally sought as strong and 
vivid an expression of their feelings as possible. Their idea was to make an impression 
on God by the picture of a whole land in mourning. 

8. Let man and beast be covered with sachcloth : The purpose of this is the 
same as in the fasting. And cry mightily unto God : yea, let them turn every 
one from his evil tvay : This translation separates what follows the colon from the 
preceding, so that the crying mightily unto God seems to be urged on both man and beast, 
but not the turning from their evil ways; but in the Hebrew it reads right along, " And let 
them cry, . . . and let them turn : " and there is just as much reason for continuing the 
subject, Tfzan and beast, to the third clause as to the second. In reality, it extends to 
neither, but the general subject men is retained. In the last part of this verse the real 
signs of repentance, the " works meet for repentance," take the place of the mere symbols. 
The violence that is in their hands : This is very practical, and in the true line 
of the best Hebrew conception of righteousness. God is, in their conception, pre-eminently 
a righteous being, to be served by righteousness ; and the way to return to him is to cease 
from violence and oppression. The hand of Jonah is evident in this part of the proclama- 
tion. 

9. Who can tell if God : Who knows but God. The question implies that, in spite 
of his threatening, God may yet be placated, and spare them. 

10. A.nd God saw their worhs : The national act of repentance was divided into 
many individual acts. And God repented of the evil, . . . and he did it not : 
The threat in the first place had moral grounds, being pronounced against evil men be- 
cause of their sin; and this always implies the condition that the cause continues, else 
the threat is invalid. For just the same reason that an evil man must be punished, a re- 
pentant man must be forgiven. An exemplary, merely monitory infliction may be per- 
sisted in, but a threatened destruction can proceed only on the supposition that the sin 
continues. To repent in this case of the evil threatened is not any thing derogatory to the 
divine immutability, but is the necessary consequence of it. 

141 



Lesson VIII. 



HEZEKIAH'S GOOD REIGN. 2 Kings \Z -.1-12. 



LESSON VIII. 

HEZEKIAH'S GOOD REIGN. —2 Kings 18 : 1-12. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — We are coming now to the great crisis in the history of 
the chosen people. Our lesson contains an account of the capture of Samaria, and with it 
the extinction of the northern kingdom; and the beginning of the end was already to be 
seen in the southern kingdom as well. A power was rising in the Ea^t, destined to be one 
of the great world-powers ; and when the small, and now sinful and enervated, people of the 
Jews came into contact with Assyria, it was only a question of time when they should be 
subjugated, if not extinguished. Before this, we have had to do with the varying fortunes 
of the nation in its wars with the second or third rate powers immediately surrounding it: 
now we are in its last period, when it is declining from causes of weakness within, and is 
menaced by a vastly superior power without. Our last glimpse of Israel was in the reign 
of Jehoash, a comparatively powerful king, who resisted successfully the encroachments of 
Syria. He was succeeded by his son Jeroboam, who completed the discomfiture of Syria, 
and had the longest and most successful reign allotted to any northern king; but his son 
Zechariah was displaced and slain, after six months' reign, by a usurper Shallum. He, in 
his turn, fell a victim, after one month, to Menahem. In his reign the Assyrians invaded 
the land, and exacted tribute His son Pekahiah was overthrov.m by Pekah, another con- 
spirator, in whose reign the Assyrians came again, and subdued Galilee and the country 
east of the Jordan. Finally, Hoshea conspired against him ; and in his reign the Assyrians 
made an end of the northern kingdom. Meantime, in the southern kingdom, Amaziah, a 
good but weak prince, who succumbed to the power of Israel, had reigned twentj'-nine 
years. His son Uzziah, or Azariah, succeeded him, and reigned fifty-t%vo years, a good 
and prosperous king. And his son Jotham had a like reign of sixteen years Then came 
the break. Ahaz, the son of Jotham, being sore pressed by Syria, obtained help from 
Assyria, and paid for it with homage and tribute. He reigned sixteen years; and then 
came Hezekiah with the religious reformation of his reign, which, with that in Josiah's 
reign, averted the final catastrophe only two generations. 



1 Now it came to pass in the third 
year of Hoshea son of Elah king of 
Israel, that Hezekiah the son of 
Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 

2 Twenty and five years old was 
he when he began to reign ; and he 



reigned twenty and nine years in 
Jerusalem. His mother's name also 
zuas Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. 
3 And he did that which was right 
in the sight of the Lord, according 
to all that David his father did. 



NOTES. — T. In the third year of JTosliea, hinfj of Israel : The last, 

ill-fated king. Hezekiah's reign turned the tide for a time in Judah, but it witnessed the 
overthrow of Israel (see above, and chapter 17 and 18: 9-12). The son of A.haz : The 
reign of Ahaz was not only unfortunate, as related above, but wicked. He worshipped 
Molech, Baal, and the gods of the Syrians (see 2 Chron. 28: 1-4, 23-25). 

2. Twenty and five years old : According to 16: 2, Ahaz was thirty-six years old 
when he died, and so Hezekiah was only eleven years his father's junior. This is only 
another instance of the perverseness of the Old-Testament figures. jLbi, the daughter 
of Zechariah : Called, in 2 Chron. 29: i, Abijah. 

3. And he did that ivhich ivas rit/ht in the sight of the lord: This is 
said without qualification of only one king preceding him, — Asa, the third from Solomon, 
whose reign began two hundred and thirty years before. 

142 



Lesson VIII. HEZEKIAH'S GOOD REIGN. 2 Kings iZ'. 1-12. 



4 T[ He removed the high places, 
and brake the ^ images, and cut 
down the groves, and brake in 
pieces the brazen serpent that 
Moses had made : for unto those 
days the children of Israel did burn 
incense to it : and he called it ^ Ne- 
hushtan. 

5 He trusted in the Lord God of 
Israel ; so that after him was none 
like him among all the kings of 



Judah, nor any that were before 
him. 

6 For he clave to the Lord, and 
departed not ^ from following him, 
but kept his commandments, which 
the Lord commanded Moses. 

7 And the Lord was with him ; 
and he prospered whithersoever he 
went forth , and he rebelled against 
the king of Assyria, and served him 
not. 



^ Heb. statues 2 That is, A piece of by-ass . 3 Heb from after him. 



4. He removed the high x^Jcices : This was an unprecedented reformation. The 
high places were the local shrines scattered all over the land, and worship at them had been 
practised and sanctioned by all the kings and prophets of the nation. Even David and 
Solomon, although they had established the central altar at Jerusalem, had not attempted 
to restrict worship to that, although such restriction is commanded in the law. The wor- 
ship of the high places, which meant simply the worship of Jehovah at the homes of the 
people instead of being obliged to go up to Jerusalem to do sacrifice, was deeply rooted in 
the hearts of the people; and the centralizing of that worship, though a move in the direc- 
tion of purity, must have met with stout resistance. Accordingly, we find in 2 Chron. 31 : 
I, that this reformation was the result of an outburst of religious enthusiasm kindled by 
Hezekiah's great passover. The people gathered from all the land, Israel and Judah alike, 
went out in bands, and destroyed not only the idolatrous images and Asherim, but also the 
high places and altars for the local worship of Jehovah. What the king would have found 
it difficult to repress by force, he swept away by a great popular movement. The im- 
ages : Of various deities — idols. jLnd cut down tJie groves : The Asherim, or 
wooden pillars connected with the worship of Ashtoreth (see i Kings 16:33; Note in 
Lesson III., Third Quarter) A:nd brake in pieces the brazen, serpi-nt that 
JKoses had made : There is no mention of this in the history, from the time that it was 
first made (Num. 21) to this sudden re-appearance Serpent-worship was common in all 
the nations of the East, association with whom might easily lead to an undue reverence for 
this sacred relic A.nd lie called it Nehiishtan : This is translated They called it 
by some commentators; but the form of the verb does not permit this, except as a rare 
usage, and there seems to be no call for it here. The name means a brazen thing, and, if 
applied by the king, would express contempt. The idolatry overthrown by the king was in 
part set up by Ahaz his father (see chapter 16) ; but the worship of Jehovah and of false 
gods existed together throughout the history, and the fortunes of each only fluctuated in 
the different reigns according to the religion of the court, but neither ever extinguished 
the other. 

5. He trusted in the JjOrd God of Israel : In Jehovah, the God of Israel. 
JLfter him teas none like him, , . . nor any that tvere before him : The 
same statement is made of Josiah (chapter 23 : 25) ; and, as both cannot be true, it is to be 
taken as a rhetorical form of saying that he was an extraordinary king. 

6. For he clave to the lord: He clung to him; did not allow himself to be drawn 
off into idolatry or disobedience. 

7. And the Lord tvas witJi him : God was at his side to help him, and insured 
him success in all his enterprises. Me prospered tvhithersoevt^r he tvent forth: 
He prospered in all the going forth that he did; i.e., in all his expeditions. Me rebelled 
against the king of Assyria, and served him not : This is put in here evidently 
as one indication of the prosperity that the Lord gave him. The subjection to Assyria that 
he threw off was the payment of tribute and the suzerainty accorded by Ahaz in return for 
Assyria's aid against Syria (see 16: 7, sq.), Shalmaneser was king of Assyria at the time. 

143 



Lesson VIII. 



HEZEKIAH'S GOOD REIGN. 2 Kings \%'.i-\2. 



8 He smote the Philistines, even 
unto ^ Gaza, and the borders thereof, 
from the tower of the watchmen to 
the fenced city. 

9 'i And it came to pass in the 
fourth 3'ear of king Hezekiah, which 
was the seventh year of Hoshea son 
of Elah king of Israel, that Shalma- 
neser king of Assyria came up 
against Samaria, and besieged it. 

10 And at the end of three years 
they took it : even in the sixth year 
of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year 



of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria 
was taken. 

11 And the king of Assyria did 
carry away Israel unto Assyria, and 
put them them in Halah and in 
Habor by the river of Gozan, and 
in the cities of the Medes : 

12 Because they obeyed not the 
voice of the Lord their God, but 
transgressed his covenant, and all 
that Moses the servant of the Lord 
commanded, and would not hear 
them, nor do them. 



Heb. Azzah. 



Sargon succeeded him, and was in his turn succeeded by Sennacherib. Whatever immu- 
nity Hezekiah may have enjoyed under the former, his land was twice invaded by Sen- 
nacherib, who was bought off the first time by a heavy tribute, and driven off by a plague 
finally. (See verses 13-16; chapter 18: 17-19: 35.) 

8. He smote the JPhilistines, even unto Gaza: In 2 Chron. 28: 16-18, it is 
related that the Philistines had invaded the low country of Judaea, and captured its cities; 
and that Ahaz had, in this matter also, implored help of the Assyrians, who exacted tribute 
of him without helping him. And the Assyrian records show that at this time Assyria 
overran all Philistia. This invasion of the country of the Philistines was, therefore, a part 
of Hezekiah's rebellion against Assyria, since the country invaded belonged to her domain. 
From the tower of the xvatchmen to the fenced city : The tower of the watch- 
men was the tower set up in the pasture-lands or uninhabited parts of the country for the 
protection of the flocks, — a solitary landmark; while the fenced city was the walled city 
built for the largest and most important groups of population. The expression means, 
therefore, yV^/w the smallest to the largest places. 

9. Shalmaneser Jcing of A.ssyria came up against Samaria : The sub- 
jection of Israel to Assyria began in the reign of Menahem, when Pul, the king of Assyria, 
exacted tribute of him. This was followed up in the reign of Pekah by an invasion and 
conquest of all the country east of the Jordan. Then Hoshea attempted to form an alliance 
with Egypt, and neglected to send the customary tribute to Assyria, which led finally to 
the extermination of the northern kingdom. This Shalmaneser is but little known outside 
of this record, as Sargon, who usurped his throne, destroyed his monumental records. 

II. A-nd the hinrj of Assyria did carry away Israel into Assyria: The 
previous account, of which this is only a resii7ite, adds that he colonized the depopulated 
territory' with Assyrians. It is one of the vexed questions of biblical history, whether these 
new Samaritans were wholly of heathen extraction, or whether there was an admixture 
among them of the Israelites. In Halah and in Hahor hy the river of Gozan : 
In Halah and by the Habor the river of Gozan. Halah was probably a province east of the 
Tigris; and Habor, = Khabour, was the principal branch of the Euphrates, on the banks of 
which was the province of Gozan, = Gauzanitis. In the cities of the Medes : Media 
lay still farther east, extending to the Caspian Sea. They were scattered, therefore, over a 
wide territory. 



144 



Lesson IX. 



HEZEKIAH'S PRAYER. 



2 Kings 20: 1-17. 



LESSON IX. 

HEZEKIAH'S PRAYER ANS'WERED. — 2 Kings 
20 : 1-17. 

A GENERAL VIEW.—Wnh. the chapters immediately preceding this lesson, 
and giving an account of Sennacherib's invasions of Judah, with their disastrous conclu- 
sion, and of his death, followed by the succession of his son Esarhaddon, the history takes 
its leave of Assyria. That kingdom was still in the height of its power, and probably Judah 
continued to be tributary to it. But there was no collision between them requiring notice 
in the history; and in the reign of Josiah there was a temporary submission to Egypt, ow- 
ing to a transient advantage that this kingdom obtained over Assyria. And in the next 
reign, Babylon, which had been maintaining a 4'««jr/-independence against Assyria for some 
time, and had just aided in the destruction of that kingdom, appears as the final subjugator 
of Judah. This change is foreshadowed in our lesson, in the embassy from the king of 
Babylon to Hezekiah, and in the prediction of Isaiah the prophet. This greatest of all the 
prophets appears here in his true light, not as a mere predicter of the future, nor even as a 
preacher, but as a man of affairs, taking part in the life of the court and of the nation, with 
just this difference between him and other men, that he brought to these affairs the moral 
and religious view of things, with an occasional prediction intended to confirm that view. 



I 111 those days was Hezekiah 
sick unto death. And the prophet 
Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, 



and said unto him, Thus saith the 
Lord, ^ Set thine house in order ; for 
thou shalt die, and not live. 



^ Heb. Give charge coiicer7iing thine house, 2 Sam. 17: 23. 

NOTES. — I. In those, days tvas Mezehiah, sick unto death : We have here 
a very general notation of time; but the date is fixed for us by the statement in verse 6, 
that Hezekiah's reign was to continue after this fifteen years. As his whole reign lasted 
twenty-nine years, it would place this event in the fifteenth year of it. It is more difficult, 
however, to locate it with reference to other events. By reference, however, to verse 6, 
it appears that the deliverance of Jerusalem out of the hand of Assyria was to follow this; 
but both the invasions of Judah previously mentioned were during the reign of Sennach- 
erib, whereas this event must have been in the reign of Sargon his predecessor: so that 
this illness of the king probably preceded the other recorded events of his reign, except his 
religious reformations. The pro2)het Isaiah, the son of A.inoz : He is not men- 
tioned in the histoiy until the reign of Hezekiah ; but in the Book of Isaiah it appears that 
he prophesied in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. As Uzziah's reign 
of fifty years ended in B.C. 757, more than forty-five years before this, Isaiah's ministry 
must have lasted already fifty years or more; and he was therefore an old man at this 
time. In the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham, which were comparatively peaceful and pros- 
perous, the prophet denounces the sins of the people, and shows how they will surely un- 
dermine this superficial prosperity. In the reign of Ahaz, when Israel and Syria were 
combining with other small states against the growing and threatening power of Assyria, 
Judah did not enter into the alliance ; and the confederates attacked him. In this juncture, 
Ahaz sought an alliance with Assyria. And the burden of Isaiah's prophecy in this reign 
is against this alliance with Assyria; showing that Syria and Israel are not to be feared, 
and that the real danger of Judah is from Assyria, whose alliance the king is courting. At 
the same time, he warns another party in the State, which wished to join the Syrian con- 
federacy, against that also. He counsels both parties that their only reliance is in Jehovah, 
and predicts the overthrow of both Syria and Assyria. And since still another party was 
inclined to look to Egypt for help, he shows that even that power is a broken reed, helpless 
against Assyria. Isaiah's career had been, therefore, in critical times; and his office had 

1^5 



Lesson IX. 



HEZEKIAH'S PRAYER. 



2 Kings 20: I-17. 



2 Then he turned his face to the 
wall, and prayed unto the Lord, 
saying, 

3 1 beseech thee, O Lord, re- 
member now how I have walked 
before thee in truth and with a pei- 
fect heart, and have done that zvhich 
is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah 
wept ^ sore. 

4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah 
was gone out into the middle ^ court; 
that the word of the Lord came to 
him, saying, 

5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah 
the captain of my people, Thus 
saith the Lord, the God of David 
thy father, I have heard thy 
prayer, I have seen thy tears : be- 
hold, I will heal thee : on the third 
day thou shalt go up unto the house 
of the Lord. 



6 And I will add unto thy days 
fifteen years; and I will deliver 
thee and this city out of the hand 
of the king of Assyria ; and I will 
defend this city for mine own sake, 
and for my servant David's sake. 

7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of 
figs. And they took and laid it on 
the boil, and he recovered. 

8 T[ And Hezekiah said unto 
Isaiah, What shall be the sign that 
the Lord will heal me, and that I 
shall go up into the house of the 
Lord the third day t 

9 And Isaiah said. This sign shalt 
thou have of the Lord, that the 
Lord will do the thing that he hath 
spoken : shall the shadow go for- 
ward ten degrees, or go back ten 
degrees t 



Heb. with a great weeping. 2 Or, city. 



been to introduce the divine view of things to guide Judah in a menacing condition of 
things. Set thinf. house in order : Give commandment to thy house, literally. The 
idea is, that he is to give his final instructions to his household. The prediction that he 
should die is positive in form, but it seems to have been conditional in reality, — a contin- 
gency that may belong, in fact, to all prophecies involving the element of moral agency. 

3. Metnetnber how hoiv I have iralked before thee . . . irith a perfect 
lieart (see 18: 3-6) : The king showed in this prayer the trust in Jehovah that is said to 
have characterized him, — a trust that, in ordering the lives of his servants, God will not 
forget their loyalty to himself. This is the contingency that reversed the king's fate. Except 
for his past obedience, and his present trust built upon it, he would have died. Into the 
middle court : The traditional text here reads, Into the midst of the city. Our version 
is from an amended reading. If the latter is retained, it means the court, or open space, 
enclosed by the walls of the palace. All large buildings in the East are constructed so that 
the four sides enclose a court. 

5. The captain of tny people : The prince of my people. General leadership, not 
military simply, is meant. 

6. I tvill deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the Icing of As- 
syria : As we have seen, the king of Assyria at this time was Sargon, who reigned between 
Shalmaneser and Sennacherib. There is no record of any invasion of Judah during his 
reign, but he did make war upon the Philistines on the south-west; and Samaria on the 
north was already in the hands of the Assyrians : so that Judah was menaced on all hands. 
For mine own sake: In a certain sense, God's honor was involved in the prosperity 
of his people, but only so far as they continued his people, that is, a people serving him. 
There came a time when his honor demanded their destruction, else he would have seemed 
like the gods of the heathen, — the partisan of a people, and not the defender of righteous- 
ness. 

7. A. lump of figs : A poultice of figs is used still in the East to allay the inflamma- 
tion of a boil. As it was fatal but for the divine intervention, it must have been something 
more malignant than an ordinary boil; and the application of figs would not have cured it, 
except by a miracle. 

9. Shall the shadoiv go forward ten degrees, or go bach ten degrees : 
Lengthen ten degrees, or go back. This is the language by which the going backwards or 

146 



Lesson IX. 



HEZEKIAH'S PRAYER. 



2 Kings 20: 1 -1 7. 



10 And Hezekiah answered, It is 
a light thing for the shadow to go 
down ten degrees : nay, but let the 
shadow return backward ten de- 
grees. 

11 And Isaiah the prophet cried 
unto the Lord : and he brought the 
shadow ten degrees backward, by 
which it had gone down in the ^ dial 
of Ahaz. 

12 t At that time ^ Berodach-bal- 
adan, the son of Baladan, king of 
Babylon, sent letters and a present 
unto Hezekiah : for he had heard 
that Hezekiah had been sick. 

13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto 
them, and shewed them all the house 
of his ^precious things, the silver, 
and the gold, and the spices, and the 



precious ointment, and all the house 
of his "^ armour, and all that was 
found in his treasures : there was 
nothing in his house, nor in all his 
dominion, that Hezekiah shewed 
them not. 

1 4 If Then came Isaiah the prophet 
unto king Hezekiah, and said unto 
him. What said these men.? and 
from whence came they unto thee ? 
And Hezekiah said. They are come 
from a far country, even from Baby- 
lon. 

15 And he said, What have they 
seen in thine house .'' And Hezekiah 
answered, All the things that are in 
mine house have they seen : there 
is nothing among my treasures that 
I have not shewed them. 



Heb. degrees. 



Or, Merodach-baladan. 
vessels. 



Or, spicery. 4 Or, Jezvels. Heb. 



forwards of time, as measured on a sun-dial, would be expressed. As this allows the earth 
to mark its own time in its revolution on its axis, the real change indicated here would 
involve a most extraordinary disturbance, and one utterly disproportioned to the effect 
intended. We must suppose that we have here an appearance produced by some other 
means than a real retarding of time. 

10. It is a light thing for the shadoiv to go doivn ten degrees : This 
involves only a quickening of the pace in the direction in which it is already moving: the 
other means an actual turning back. 

12. JBerodach-bnladan, the son of Bnlndan, Icing of Babylon: The 
true name is Merodach-Baladan. He was king of Babylon twice, — once from B. C. 721- 
709, and once for six months in 703. Babylon was in the condition of a subject people at 
this time, trying to assert its independence of Assyria. Sargon defeated this attempt in the 
twelfth year of Merodach-baladan, and drove him from the throne; but in 703, on the death 
of Sargon, Merodach-baladan regained the throne, only to lose it again after six months. 
The Assyrian inscriptions make him the son of Tagin; so that either the one or the other, 
supposing it to be a true name, must belong to some remoter ancestor. The name is 
formed from that of the Babylonian god, Merodach= Bel, which occurs in other personal 
names. For he had heard that Hezekiah had been sicJc : In Isa. 39: i, it 
adds, and had recovered ; and in 2 Chron. 32: 31, it speaks of ambassadors being sent 
" to inquire of the wonder done in the land," which may refer to the cure or the sign. But 
every thing about the narrative, especially the dark light in which Hezekiah's treatment of 
the embassy is placed, indicates the correctness of the statement of Josephus, that they 
came to negotiate a treaty with Judah against Assyria. 

13. All the house of his precious things : The things in this treasure-house 
follow immediately; viz., gold, silver, spices, and precious ointments. The house itself 
takes its name from the spices, — the spice house. All the hoitse of his armor : His 
armory or arsenal. The wealth and resources of Hezekiah are said to have been great 
(see 2 Chron. 32: 27-29). The object of this display was to show the king of Babylon what 
he might expect from Hezekiah in case of an alliance, — what help he could afford an 
ally. 

14. Then came Isaiah the prophet : As we have seen, it was his idea to keep 
Judah from all these entangling alliances with foreign and idolatrous nations ; and so he 
looked with suspicion on all these embassies of foreigners. They are come from a 

147 



Lesson X. THE SINFUL NATION. Isa. i : 1-18. 



16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, 
Hear the word of the Lord. 

17 Behold, the days come, that 
all that is in thine house, and that 



which thy fathers have laid up in 
store unto this day, shall be carried 
into Babylon . nothing shall be left, 
saith the Lord. 



far country, even from Sahijlon : He speaks of it as an unfamiliar place; and so 
it was, comparatively at any rate. It was a secondary power, belonging to Assyria, and 
had not come into contact with Judah before this. 

17 Hehold, the days come : This prophecy is remarkable ; anticipating, as it does, 
the overthrow of Assyria, the elevation of Babylon to independence and power, and so the 
subjugation of Judah, not by any present enemy, but by a nation that was itself at this time 
a feudatory power. 



LESSON X. 

THE SINFUL NATION. — Isa. 1 : 1-18. 

A GENERAL VIEW. — Our study of prophecy in connection with the history of 
Israel and Judah begins with Isaiah, whose ministry was confined to the southern kingdom; 
but before him, at any rate before the period of his great activity, there had been two 
prophets whose work had been to warn the greater northern kingdom of the impending 
judgment of Jehovah against the sins of the nation. Amos prophesied in the reign of 
Jeroboam, a long-lived and ouUvardly prosperous prince; but he saw the injustice and 
oppression and greed that accompanied the outward worship of Jehovah, and prophesied 
the downfall of the nation at a period of about fifty-five years preceding the Assyrian con- 
quest ; and Hosea began his work at the same time, but continued it during all that criti- 
cal period up to about the time of the captivity. And contemporary with Isaiah, at least 
in the middle and last part of his work, was Micah, whose prophetic mission was to both 
Judah and Israel. We have given already, in the preceding lesson, an outline of Isaiah's 
work. He lived in the time when Assyria was brushing aside the small nations that lay in 
its path, with the evident intention of possessing itself of the Mediterranean coast and of all 
the intervening country. He had his ej'e also on EgA-pt in the south. Judah and Israel 
lay in the path to both these prizes ; and the important and absorbing question of the right 
policy for the nation to pursue in such a juncture was devolved upon Isaiah to answer, not 
In the name of a worldly policy, but in the name of Jehovah. His answer was twofold, — 
first, that the Jews should not make any alliance with other smaller nations against Assyria, 
nor with Assyria against their more immediate enemies; and, second, that they should give 
themselves to the work of internal and individual reform, by which they should secure the 
aid of Jehovah against all their enemies. This first chapter belongs to the second part of 
this prophetic message. 

I The vision of Isaiah the son of ' 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, 
Amoz, which he saw concerning O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, 
Judah and Jerusalem in the davs of I have nourished and brought up 
Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Heze- children, and they have rebelled 
kiah, kings of Judah. | against me. 

NOTES. — 2. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: He calls on them 
to hear, because it is Jehovah that speaks; and, moreover, he calls them to witness 
against Israel, as in Deut. 4: 26; 30: 19. For the Lord hath spoken : For Jehovah 
speaketh; viz., the words that follow. I have nourished and hroufjht up chil- 
dren, and they have rebelled against me: This is the burden of God's complaint 
agc^inst his people; that he has treated them as a father his children, — feeding, training, 
loving them ; and they have rebelled, not against authority, but against love. 



Lesson X. 



THE SINFUL NATION. 



Isa. I : \-\\ 



3 The ox knoweth his owner, and 
the ass his master's crib : but Israel 
doth not know, my people doth not 
consider. 

4 Ah sinful nation, a people 
^ laden with iniquity, a seed of evil- 
doers, children that are corrupters ; 
they have forsaken the Lord, they 
have provoked the Holy One of 
Israel unto anger, they are "gone 
away backward. 

5 '\ Why should ye be stricken 
any more ? ye will ^revolt more and 
more : the whole head is sick, and 
the whole heart faint. 



6 From the sole of the foot even 
unto the head there is no soundness 
in it ; bict wounds, and bruises, and 
putrifying sores : they have not been 
closed, neither bound up, neither 
mollified with '* ointment. 

7 Your country is desolate, your 
cities are burned with fire : your 
land, strangers devour it in your 
presence, and it is desolate, ^ as 
overthrown by strangers. 

8 And the daughter of Zion is 
left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a 
lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as 
a besieged city. 



* Heb. of heavifiess. ^ Heb. alienated, or, separated. Ps. 58: 3. 3 Heb. i7icrease 
revolt. 4 Or, oil. S Heb. as the overthrow of strangers. 

3. TUe ox Jcnoweth Jiis owner: The people of God are worse than the domestic 
animals. They do know who owns and feeds them; but Israel is owned and fed by Jeho- 
vah, and yet serves strange gods. 

4. jlh sinful nation: Alas, sinful nation! A. seed of evildoers, children 
that are corrupters : Children acting corruptly. These two phrases are contrasted 
with what the children of God ought to be, — a holy seed. Indeed, the whole statement has 
this implied contrast, since the nation and people were set apart by their relation to God as 
a consecrated people. They Jiave provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger : 
They have despised the Holy One of Israel. In this attribute of Jehovah appears the 
nature of Israel's sin against him. As appears in what follows, that offence does not con- 
sist in the worship of other gods, nor in any formal irregularity in their worship of Jehovah, 
— though this is what we might gather from reading the historical books only, — but in 
failing to worship and serve Jehovah as a holy being. 

5. Why should ye be strichen any more ? ye will revolt more and 
more : Why will ye . . . ? ye multiply rebellion. The second clause assigns the reason 
for the first. It is their repeated defection that occasions their continual smiting; and what 
is the use of it? The whole head, . . . and the whole heart : Every head, . . . 
and every heart. This shows how the whole nation, every one among its people, is afflicted 
with God's chastisements. The completeness of the evil is described in what follows. 

6. Wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores : Cuts and stripes and fresh 
wounds. The first denotes the wounds made by a sword or knife, the second those made 
with a rod, and the third wounds still fresh and smarting. They have not been 
closed, neitJier bound up, neither mollified ivith ointment : They have not 
been pressed nor bound up. The different processes of dressing wounds — the pressing, to 
get out the blood and matter, the binding, and the anointing — are described. There are 
these wounds, and nothing has been done towards curing or alleviating them. In verses 
5, 6, the prophet remonstrates with the people on the ground of the evil that their sin 
brings on them, as he has in the preceding verses on the ground of its heinousness as com- 
mitted against a gracious God and a holy vocation. 

7. You7' country is desolate : Here he proceeds from the figurative description 
of the state of the nation to a literal statement of the same. A.S overthrown by 
strangers : As the overthrow of strangers; that is, God's destruction of his own peo- 
ple and land is such as he might be expected to inflict on strangers. 

8. The daughter of Zion: Jerusalem. In Hebrew, the expression would denote 
ordinarily the inhabitants of the place; but, by an extension of the figure employed, it is 
applied to the piace itself. A cottage in a vineyard : A hut in a vineyard, — the 
temporary shelter erected for the watchman set there to guard the vineyard against jackals, 

149 



Lesson X, 



THE SINFUL NATION. 



Isa. I : \-\\ 



9 Except the Lord of hosts had 
left unto us a very small remnant, 
we should have been as Sodom, and 
we should have been like unto 
Gomorrah. 

ID IF Hear the word of the Lord, 
ye rulers of Sodom ; give ear unto 
the law of our God, ye people of 
Gomorrah. 

II To what purpose is the multi- 
tude of your sacrifices unto me ? 
saith the Lord : I am full of the 
burnt offerings of rams, and the fat 



of fed beasts; and I delight not in 
the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, 
or of ' he goats. 

12 When ye come ^ to appear be- 
fore me, who hath required this at 
your hand, to tread my courts .'' 

13 Bring no more vain oblations; 
incense is an abomination unto me ; 
the new moons and sabbaths, the 
calling of assemblies, I cannot away 
with ; /'/ z> ^iniquity, even the solemn 
meeting. 



Heb. great he goats. ^ Heb. to be seen. 3 Or, grief. 



foxes, and other animals that destroyed the fruit; and the lodge in a garden (field) of 
cucumbers is a structure of the same kind, and for the same purpose. The figure denotes 
the deserted condition of Jerusalem, left alone in a desolate land full of burned cities and 
wasted fields. It is as solitary as the watchman's hut in a vineyard, with not another 
human habitation in sight. Like a besieged city : The comparison is not so obvious 
here. In the first place, the meaning besieged is not common; and then, while a besieged 
city is cut off from the outside world, it does not compare, closely at any rate, with a city 
in the midst of a desolate land. It seems better to translate, like a tower of watch. The 
situation of these towers in the midst of frontier and exposed places carries out the preced- 
ing figure. 

9. lExcept the ZiOrd of hosts had left tinto us a very small remnant : A 
few surA'ivors of the general destruction. Jehovah of hosts, the God of battles, is the char- 
acteristic title of the God who has so spared them from utter destruction. A very impor- 
tant question here is, to what period in Isaiah's ministry this passage (verses 7-9) applies. 
It is a graphic description of a wasted and ruined land. But the reigns of the first two 
kings contemporary with him, Uzziah and Jotham, were prosperous reigns, in both of which 
Judah was not only secure from invasions, but strong and prosperous internally, and suc- 
cessful in war. In the reign of Ahaz succeeding these, however, the land was invaded and 
despoiled by both Syria and Israel; great numbers of the people being slain or captured 
(see 2 Chron. 28: 5-8). And under Hezekiah, though the Assyrians were finally driven 
off through divine intervention, it was not till they had brought the land into great extremi- 
ties. This first chapter, therefore, cannot be first in chronological order. We may suppose 
that it is placed first, as being more general in its character, so that it serves as an intro- 
duction to the other prophecies. Of the two periods named above, the reign of Ahaz seems 
the more probable, as that was a time corresponding to this in wickedness as well as ruin. 

10. I'e rulers of Sodom ; . . . ye x^fople of Gomorrah : The prophet passes 
over here from the comparison with Sodom and Gomorrah in outward condition, to a desig- 
nation of Jerusalem as being Sodom and Gomorrah, in one, for wickedness; and here, too, 
he begins another paragraph with the same verbs — " hear" and " give ear" — with which 
he began the chapter. 

11. To tvhat 2iitrpose is the rmiltitde of your sacrifices unto me ? Of what 
use to me is the multitude, etc.? The sacrifices here are the slain, but only partly burned 
offerings; the burnt offerings are those wholly burned; the fat refers to the custom of 
offering the fat and inwards of the peace offerings. 

12. When ye come to aj>penr before me: At the three great feasts; and then 
the expression comes to be used of all the resort of the people to the temple. Who hath 
required tJiis at your hand, to tr> ad my courts ? The attempt of the prophet 
to reduce these acts to their bare and inexpressive outwardness is better expressed here by 
the word trample. 

13. £ring no more vain oblations : Lying oblations. The particular offering 

ISO 



Lesson X, 



THE SINFUL NATION. 



Isa. 1 : 1-18. 



14 Your new moons and your ap- 
pointed feasts my soul hateth : they 
are a trouble unto me ; I am weary 
to bear theyn. 

1 5 And when ye spread forth your 
hands, I will hide mine eyes from 
you : yea, when ye ^ make many 
prayers, I will not hear: your hands 
are full of ^ blood. 

16 IT Wash you, make you clean ; 
put away the evil of your doings 



from before mine eyes ; cease to do 
evil ; 

17 Learn to do well ; seek judg- 
ment, 3 relieve the oppressed, judge 
the fatherless, plead for the widow. 

18 Come now, and let us reason 
together, saith the Lord • though 
your sins be as scarlet, they shall be 
as white as snow ; though they be 
red like crimson, they shall be as 
wool. 



Heb. multiply prayer. ^ Heb. bloods. 3 Or, righten. 



meant is the bloodless offering called the meat-offering. He calls them lying, because the 
people offer them without having in their hearts the sentiments toward God that they are 
intended to express. The neiv inoons and sabbaths , the calling of assem- 
blies, I cannot a-way with ; it is iniquity, even the soletnn merting : The 

new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the sol- 
emn meeting. The first three nouns are left ungoverned, and he sums up what he has 
to say about them in the last striking sentence. The sight of assemblies called together to 
worship him, but having evil in their hearts, God cannot endure. Men thought that the 
religious service offset the evil, and atoned for it ; but to God they made an incongruous 
and odious mixture. 

14. Your new moons and your appointed feasts : And your festivals. They 
are a trouble to me : A burden. I am 'tveary to hear them : Of bearing them._ 
God sees the utter formality and heartlessness of these things; or, rather, he sees how in 
the life of the people religion and righteousness are dissociated, and he is weary of what 
would otherwise delight him. 

16. Wheri ye spread forth your hands : In prayer. When ye maJce many 
prayers : This is parallel to the preceding, as if he had said, When you pray, I will hide 
mine eyes; and even when you multiply prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are 
full of blood : And so it is useless to spread them forth in prayer. Bloodshed and 
violence do not harmonize with prayer; and, if the two come together, it is the blood that 
nullifies the praying, and not the prayer that removes the stain of blood. Notice that 
throughout this section (verses 10-15) the prophet disclaims making any charge against 
the nation, such as the annalist makes in 2 Kings 16: 3, 4. It was not that they wor- 
shipped other gods, or worshipped Jehovah in irregular places or ways, but that they were 
insincere and heartless in their worship, joining sacrifices, feasts, and prayers with injustice 
and oppression. It is this insistence on real righteousness, that marks the true prophet. 

16. Wash you, maJce yoxi clean : Figurative expressions denoting moral cleansing. 

17. JLearn to do well : Or, to do good, in the sense of benefit. Seeh judgment : 
Seek justice, rather, in judgment. Melieve tJie oppressed : Straighten out the op- 
pressor. Make him do right. Judge the fatherless : Do justice to the fatherless, 
JBlead for the tvidow : Plead her case in court. In this statement of the reform 
needed, it is injustice and oppression of the weak that the prophet emphasizes as the things 
needing to be remedied. As the charge against the nation has been moral evil, so the 
remedy is not sacrifice, but repentance and a new life. 

i8. Come notv, and let tts reason together' : That is, after this repentance and 
turning from their evil ways. Will God after this condemn and punish their sins? The 
answer is, No : the sins that are as scarlet, flaming and deep-dyed, shall be as wool or snow. 

151 



Lesson XI, 



THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR. 



Isa. 53: 1-12. 



LESSON XI. 

THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR. — Isa. 53:1-12. 

A GENERAL yZE7W. — With chapter 40 begins a new and singular part of the 
prophecy. In the preceding chapters the prophet has been deaHng with his own times, 
showing the true course for the nation to take in the crisis caused by Assyria's increasing 
power and encroachments, and closing with the story of Assyria's final repulse. In the 
second part we are transported abruptly to Babylon, and hear the prophet's word to the 
captive nation. Moreover, in these chapters, a new personage emerges, called the servant 
of Jehovah. What the title means appears in 41 : 8, where Israel, the seed of Abraham, is 
said to be the servant of Jehovah. And in chapter 42, the train of thought connects to- 
gether immediately the servant of Jehovah in verses i and 19, and Jacob and Israel in verse 
24. In chapter 44, it is again Jacob my servant in verse i, and Israel my servant in verse 
21. In chapter 45: 4; 48: 20, the same title appears, with the same application. In chap- 
ter 49: 3, a change occurs; for, while it is still Israel that is addressed as the servant of 
Jehovah (verse 3) , he appears as the one who is to bring back Jacob, or Israel, to Jehovah, 
and to be his salvation unto the ends of the earth, although the servant of Jehovah is him- 
self the abhorred of the nation (verses 5-9). And in 50: 4-10, the servant of the Lord ap- 
pears again as giving his back to smiters, and his cheek to pluckers, while he declares the 
word of the Lord. With chapter 52: 13 begins the paragraph from which our lesson is 
taken, the subject of which is still the servant of Jehovah. And here the description cul- 
minates. For he is described as despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, whom men 
count smitten of the Lord, but who is really bearing the sins of the people and not his own 
sins, and by whose stripes the peace of the people is purchased. In order to keep us within 
the range of his subject, however, all this is set by the prophet within the limits of the cap- 
tivity and the restoration. And it appears, therefore, that the Israel of whom all this is said 
— who is to restore Israel, and by his own sufferings redeem God's people — is the elect Is- 
rael, the holy seed in the midst of the people. And yet, as throughout the Old Testament, 
the prophecy outruns the limits of the immediate fulfilment. There is an unfulfilled re- 
mainder that points forward to the Christ. He is the true servant of Jehovah, of whom all 
the national and individual types were only meagre copies. 



1 Who hath believed our ^ report 1 
and to whom is the arm of the Lord 
revealed .'' 

2 For he shall grow up before 



him as a tender plant, and as a root 
out of a dry ground : he hath no 
form nor comeliness ; and when we 
shall see him, the7-e is no beauty that 
we should desire him. 



Or, doctrine. Heb. hearz7ig. 



NOTES. — 1. WJio hatJi believed our report? That is, as both the preceding 
and following verses show, the report of the prophet and those associated with him, in re- 
gard to the servant of Jehovah. A:nd to tvhom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? 
In the exaltation of his servant. 

2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root 
out of a dry ground : For he grew up as a shoot, and as a sprout; as a small and 
unpromising thing, like a mere sprout out of desert land. Form nor comeliness : 
Beauty nor pomp; the latter referring to the state and splendor in which princes array 
themselves. And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should 
desire him : Literally, And we see him, and there is no sight (or appearance) that we 
should delight in him. This gives the reason why the report of his exaltation is not 
received. 

15a 



Lesson XL 



THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR. 



Isa. 53: 1-12. 



3 He is despised and rejected of 
men ; a man of sorrows, and ac- 
quainted with grief: and Hve hid as 
it were our faces from him ; he was 
despised, and we esteemed him 
not. 

4 T[ Surely he hath borne our 
griefs, and carried our sorrows : yet 
we did esteem him stricken, smitten 
of God, and afflicted. 

5 But he was ^ wounded for our 
transgressions, he was bruised for 
our iniquities : the chastisement of 



our peace tvas upon him ; and with 
his ^ stripes we are healed. 

6 All we like sheep have gone 
astray ; we have turned every one to 
his own way; and the Lord '^hath 
laid on him the iniquity of us all. 

7 He was oppressed, and he was 
afflicted, yet he opened not his 
mouth ; he is brought as a lamb to 
the slaughter, and as a sheep before 
her shearers is dumb, so he openeth 
not his mouth. 

8 ^ He was taken from prison and 
from judgment : and who shall de- 



^ Or, he hid as it ivere \\\s face /ro7n us. Heb, as a hiding of faces from him, or, 
jfrom MS. 2 Or, tormented. 3 Heb. bruise. 4 Heb. hath made the iniqiiity of 
us all to meet on him. 5 Or, He was taken away by distress and judgment : 
but, etc. 

3. He is despised and rejected of men : The Hebrew is more striking, making 
this a participial clause, without any verb. Despised and forsaken of men. A.nd tve hid 
as it u^ere our faces from him : And like one hiding the face from us. It is a part 
of the description of the despised and sorrowful servant of Jehovah. He is like one who 
in grief and humility hides his face from men. 

4. StirvJy he hath home our griefs, and carried our sorrotvs : Probably 
the first word is adversative, — But he bore our griefs. The cause of a righteous man's 
grief and low estate is that he bears the pains of other men. What makes this prophecy so 
wonderful is not simply that it foresees the Redeemer's sufferings, but that it sees the law 
of human life that underlies them. The innocent suffer with, and for, the guilty. A sinful 
nation or race is redeemed by the sorrows and oppressions and blood of its righteous rem- 
nant. This law, which was completely exemplified only in the sufferings of the Redeemer 
of men, the prophet saw being worked out in the history of his country. We did esteem 
him stricken, smitten of God : With the blindness that saw in all suffering only the 
punishment of personal guilt, they attributed his sorrows to the just visitation of God. 

5. lie tvas tvounded for our transgressions : The servant of Jehovah, though 
himself righteous, — rather, because himself righteous, — is afHicted and despised; but it is 
an affliction that grows out of the sins of others. The chastisement of our peace : 
kind. The argument progresses here. For it is noP only true that the righteous man 
Of our welfare. The Hebrew word means specifically health, and generally good of any 
suffers with and for the guilty, but that through his suffering the guilty are saved. Right- 
eousness, simply as righteousness, does not suffer. It is only an aggressive and redemptive 
righteousness that is persecuted and despised. A righteousness that opposes and rebukes 
sin is itself opposed and hated; but this is just the unselfish holiness by which sin is 
eradicated, and men are saved. 

6. All we like sheep have gone astray : Like the flock, literally. The 
prophet is here depicting in a figure the general and well-nigh universal sinfulness of the 
nation; and in the last clause he drops the figure of straying, and speaks literally of the 
iniquity (perverseness) of them all, which Jehovah lays upon his servant. In what sense 
he does this is seen in verses 2 and 3, of which all the rest is only an explanation. He 
makes him bear the scorn and grief that belong to their sins. 

7. He tvas oppressed, and he tvas afflicted, yet he opened not his 
motitJi : He was oppressed, and he submitted, and opened not his mouth. The silent 
submission to oppression begins with the second clause. The argument advances here 
another step ; showing not only the suffering of God's servant, but the meekness with which 
he yields to it. 

8. He tvas taken from prison and from judgment : He was taken by op- 

153 



Lesson XI. 



THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR. 



Isa. 53:1-12. 



clare his generation ? for he was cut 
off out of the land of the living : for 
the transgression of my people ^ was 
he stricken. 

9 And he made his grave with the 
wicked, and with the rich in his 
^ death ; because he had done no 
violence, neither was any deceit in 
his mouth. 

10 1" Yet it pleased the Lord to 
bruise him ; he hath put him to grief : 



^ when thou shalt make his soul an 
offering for sin, he shall see his seed, 
he shall prolong his days, and the 
pleasure of the Lord shall prosper 
in his hand. 

II He shall see of the travail of 
his soul, and^\i2\\ be satisfied : by his 
knowledge shall my righteous serv- 
ant justify many; for he shall bear 
their iniquities. 



Heb. was the stroke upon him. 



2 Heb. deaths. 
an offering. 



3 Or, when his soul shall make 



pression and by judgment, or by an oppressive judgment. And who shall declare 
his generation ? This is one of the immense difficulties of this section of the prophecy. 
In fact, there is no satisfactory explanation of it. Who considereth his generation ? is 
the probable translation of it For he teas cut off out of the land of the living : 
The prophet has brought the servant of Jehovah at last to death, death inflicted by an 
oppressive judgment; and this, together with his other sufferings, he lays at the door of 
the people's transgression. It is because of their transgression that he comes to a violent 
death. Not simply that a wicked people put him to death, but that their sin and redemp- 
tion cost him his life. 

9. Aufl he made his grave u'ith thf tvicTced, and tvith the rich in, his 
death : And with the rich his burial-mound. This is another of the difficulties of the 
passage. Probably, however, the rich are here parallel with the wicked ; and so the 
prophet thinks of the ungodliness and pride that in his day belonged to the rich, and uses 
the word here as a synonyme for ungodly. Secause he had done no violence : Al- 
though he had done no violence. In spite of the absence of wickedness and deceit in him, 
they buried him with the wicked. 

ID. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him ; he hath put Jiitn to grief: 
Another difficult passage, where it seems almost impossible to translate it as it stands. 
With a slight change, not of the original letters, but of the vowel points introduced long 
afterwards, it would read. And his bruising pleased the Lord, the pain, since his soul makes 
a trespass offering. It means that the affliction, the crushing, endured by the servant of 
Jehovah pleased God, for the reason that in it his soul made a trespass offering. Not the 
pain itself pleased Jehovah, but the sacrificial element in it, — the sight of a man, or class of 
men, giving themselves for others, taking on themselves the burdens and pains occasioned 
by other men's sins, and necessary for their redemption. He shall see his seed: A 
seed. According to the rendering given above, there should be a period after the word of- 
fering, so that this clause begins a new sentence ; but, though it is disconnected gram- 
matically with the preceding, it nevertheless expresses a result of the Lord's pleasure with 
the sacrifice of his servant. He will give him a seed, a spiritual posterity, inheriting his 
loyal obedience and righteousness. The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in 
his hands : The cause of the Lord, that about which he concerns himself. The prophet 
seems to bring his subject to life again here, — a marvel easily explained by the resurrection 
of Jesus in the Messianic application of the prophecy. In the more immediate meaning 
given to the prophecy, it is explained by the fact that it is not an individual whose career is 
depicted here, but the holy seed or remnant of the people, which continues, although indi- 
viduals die. 

II. He shall see of the travail of Jiis soul, and shall be satisfied: This 
would mean that he shall see the fruits of his anguish of soul, and be satisfied, — find in them 
a satisfying reward. It may mean that, because of the travail of his soul, he shall see and 
be satisfied; that is, see what will satisfy him. JBij his knowledge shall my right- 
eous servant justify many : By the knowledge of him shall my righteous servant 

154 



Lesson XII. THE GRACIOUS INVITATION. 7^^.55:1-11. 



12 Therefore will I divide him a 
portion with the great, and he shall 
divide the spoil with the strong ; be- 
cause he hath poured out his soul 



unto death : and he was numbered 
with the transgressors ; and he bare 
the sin of many, and made interces- 
sion for the transgressors. 



render many righteous. Many, knowing him, will be turned to righteousness by his right- 
eous example, for he shall hear their iniqtdties : And he shall bear, or he bore. 

12. Therefore will I divide him a portion tvith the fjreat : Assign him a 
portion among the great. He has been poor, humble, downtrodden ; but his God will assign 
him his portion among the great. He was iiutubered ivifh the traiisf/rcssors : 
The righteous man has been depicted here as suffering death, not at the hands of a mob, but 
by an unrighteous judgment that puts him to death as a malefactor. In Mark 15: 27, 28, our 
Lord's crucifixion between two thieves is said to fulfil this Scripture. And he bare the 
sins of many : This gives the true account of the matter. In reality, he was suffering, 
not for his own sins, but for the sins of others. And^ made intercession for the 
transgressors : His life and death plead for them. 

We have seen how, in the prophet's mind, the nation was to be redeemed and brought out 
of captivity by the sacrifices of its righteous remnant; but, as his imagination kindles with 
the glowing vision, we feel how meagre and inadequate is either the return from captivity, 
or the righteousness that procured it, to fulfil that prophecy. After all had passed, the 
people felt that it had another to add to the list of its unfulfilled prophecies; and it kept its 
expectant eye on the future. And in its Messiah, when he came, all the prophecies met, 
and found their final and adequate fulfilment. He was the righteous servant of Jehovah, 
despised and rejected of men, bearing his people's sins and sorrows, and turning many to 
righteousness, who shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied. 



LESSON XII. 

THE GRACIOUS INVITATION. — Isa. 55:1-11. 

A GENERAL VIEW. —The vision that is interrupted by the description of the 
suffering servant of Jehovah is that of the return of God's captive people from Babylon to 
Jerusalem; and in chapter 54, the strain of triumph is continued. The desolate and af- 
flicted Jerusalem is called upon to enlarge her borders, because she is not only to be inhab- 
ited again, but to spread out on the right hand and on the left. She is the bride of Jehovah; 
and, though forsaken for a little, his covenant with her is unchangeable. She is to be beau- 
tified without, and made glorious within, established in righteousness and peace, and no 
weapon formed against her is to prosper. In our chapter, the subject is continued; the 
thirsty people being invited to partake of the waters, yes, the wine and milk, of God's bless- 
ing. They are reminded again of God's covenant, and are shown how, in repentance, they 
may find God again, whose mercy and faithfulness exceed the thought of man, as the heav- 
ens overtop the world. And here, again, the immediate fulfilment falls far short of the glory 
of the prophet's vision, which had to wait for the advent of the Messiah before it found any 
adequate accomplishment. 



I Ho, every one that thirsteth, 
come ye to the waters, and he that 
hath no money ; come ye, buy, and 



eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk 
without money and without price. 



NOTES. — I. Ho, every one that thirsteth: The interjection is one that is 
generally used to express sorrow and grief; and, even in cases like this, it has an undertone 
of sadness, as it commiserates the condition out of which escape is promised (see Zech. 
2:6). Come ye to the ^uaters : A semicolon should be placed after this instead of a 

15s 



Lessofi XII. 



THE GRACIOUS INVITATION. 



Isa. 55: i-ii. 



2 Wherefore do ye ^ spend money 
for that tuhich is not bread ? and 
your labour for that which satisfieth 
not ? hearken diligently unto me, 
and eat ye that which is good, and 
let your soul delight itself in fat- 
ness. 

3 Incline your ear, and come unto 
me : hear, and your soul shall live ; 
and I will make an everlasting cove- 



nant with you, even the sure mercies 
of David. 

4 Behold, I have given him for a 
witness to the people, a leader and 
commander to the people. 

5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation 
that thou knowest not, and nations 
that knew not thee shall run unto 
thee because of the Lord thy God, 
and for the Holy One of Israel ; for 
he hath glorified thee. 



Heb. iveigh. 



comma, and only a comma after the next clause, connecting that with the invitation to buy 
and eat. It is an invitation to the thirsty to come to the waters, and to him without money 
to buy and eat. The paradox is explained by the fact that it is God of whom they are 
asked to buy, who gives not for money, but for the asking, to every one that seeks him, on 
condition only that they turn from their evil ways. Huy wine and milh without 
money, and without jyrice : Not worthless things, but the very emblems of plenty 
are to be had without money. 

2. Wherefore do ye spend money : Literally, weigh out silver. Money was not 
coined, but paid by weight. A.nd your labour : Your earnings. The difficulty with 
the people was, that they were giving money, the earnings of their toil, for unsatisfactory 
things, when they could have good things without money. Uearhen dilifjently itnto 
me : It becomes apparent here that it is Jehovah who speaks, inviting his people to listen 
to his gracious words of invitation. In these opening verses, the prophet, seeing the hun- 
gry condition of the captive people, strangers in a strange land, humbled under a foreign 
yoke, invites them to partake of God's free gifts. He sees all the blessings of restoration 
and freedom open to them, if only they will hear the voice of God's grace, and return to 
him; and to describe these blessings, he employs the language of physical plenty. 

3. Incline your ear : Bend down the ear, in order to hsten. Tour soul shall 
live : Life is the great blessing attached to righteousness in the Old Testament as well as 
the New, though it increases continually in the spirituality of its meaning. It never means 
in this connection to exist simply, but to thrive or prosper. I will niahe an everlast- 
ing covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David : This covenant is the 
one to which they referred with most delight and confidence, because it contained the clause 
that, even if his descendants committed iniquity, God would chastise them, but would not 
withdraw his mercy from them as he had from Saul, but would establish the throne of his 
kingdom forever. This made the mercy bestowed on David, and on the nation through 
him, sure, not fluctuating with the uncertain conduct of men. Not even this covenant, 
however, was fulfilled in the literal sense of it, but awaited its spiritual fulfilment in the 
Christ. 

4. Behold, I have given him for a tvitness to the people : More probably, 
a lawgiver to the peoples. The word commander in the following clause does not mean a 
military commander, but, in a general sense, one who issues commands, a ruler. This 
carries forward the thought of the preceding verse, showing what the covenanted mercy to 
David is. God made him a ruler, and established the throne in his line: and, moreover, 
he made him king not only over his own people, but over peoples; other nations were yet 
to acknowledge the dominion of David's royal line. 

5. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou Tcnowestnot: Probably, 
Jehovah is here addressing his people, showing them what they will do by virtue of this 
promise to David that he shall be a leader of peoples. Call : Summon or invite to come 
with them. And natiotis that knetc not thee: A nation. SJiall run unto 
thee : In obedience to this caU. And for tlie Moly One of Israel : Unto the Holy 

156 



Lesson XII. THE GRACIOUS INVITATION. /j-«. 55: i-ii. 



6 IT Seek ye the Lord while he 
may be found, call ye upon him while 
he is near : 

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, 
and ' the unrighteous man his 
thoughts . and let him return unto 
the Lord, and he will have mercy 
upon him ; and to our God, for ^ he 
will abundantly pardon. 

8 *tr For my thoughts are not your 
thoughts, neither are your ways my 
ways, saith the Lord. 

9 For as the heavens are higher 
than the earth, so are my ways 



higher than your ways, and my 
thoughts than your thoughts. 

10 For as the rain cometh down, 
and the snow from heaven, and re- 
turneth not thither, but watereth the 
earth, and maketh it bring forth and 
bud, that it may give seed to the 
sower, and bread to the eater : 

11 So shall my word be that goeth 
forth out of my mouth : it shall not 
return unto me void, but it shall 
accomplish that which I please, and 
it shall prosper in the thing yvhtxtto 
I sent it. 



I Heb. the man of iniquity. 2 Heb. he will multiply to pardon. 

One. In the same construction as unto thee after the verb rtcn. They shall run to join 
Israel, and Israel's God, because he honors and beautifies his people. Instead of being a 
captive and oppressed people, they shall be a nation to whom other peoples shall be glad 
to join themselves, and whose king shall rule over other nations, because of the favor shown 
them by Jehovah. 

6. Seeh ye the Ziord tvJiile he may be found : In this call extended to the peo- 
ple, and in the promise contained in it to renew the covenant with them, God has shown 
himself to be near and gracious; and now, therefore, is the time to call on him. 

7. Ziet the xviched forsahe his way : This is the way back to God. For he is 
holy ; and to call on him with the lips, while the heart remains unholy, and the hands de- 
filed, is a mockery. A.nd the umnghteous man his thoughts : His devices, or 
evil purposes. The nation is one to which great promises of good have been made ; but it 
is not now in a condition to receive them, because of its sins. It needs to forsake them, 
and then it will find a pardoning God. 

8. For my thoughts are 7iot your thoughts , neither are your ways 
my wiays : The words ways and thoughts here take up the way and thoughts of the 
preceding verse, and show why the wicked man is exhorted to forsake his way and thoughts. 
They are not like God's. God's ways are immeasurably higher than man's. 

10. For as the rain cometh dotvn, and the snow from heaven : This beau- 
tiful comparison contains two points : first, that the snow and rain do not simply come down 
to the earth, and then return, without accomplishing any thing ; and, second, that what they 
do accomplish is a gracious purpose. 

11. So shall my tvord be that goeth forth out of my mouth : A sure and 
gracious word. It shall not return unto me void : Empty, — a figurative expres- 
sion of the idea of non-fulfilment of its purpose. The word of God is here conceived as 
endued with power to fulfil itself This is the difference between God's way and man's, 
that should induce man to forsake his way and return to God. Man's way is purposeless 
and fluctuating; his adherence to right and truth is unsteady: but God is eternally and 
absolutely fixed in his purposes of grace. 

The lesson ends abruptly here, just as the vision is approaching its climax. The next 
verses show us what the gracious word of God, so sure of fulfilment, is. It is the restora- 
tion of God's captive people, and their return to their own land. They are to go out with 
joy, and be led forth with peace. 

157 



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